Hero Academia DxD
by dinocam3
Summary: Izuku was told by almost everyone that he was worthless. That he'd never be a hero no matter how hard he tried. But he refused to accept that. So when he's killed and then turned into a devil by the beautiful Rias Gremory, his life changes in ways he never could've imagined. (Izuku x harem) (cover art by knilzy95)
1. Midoriya Izuku, the Hero

_"All men are not created equal. I learned that a long time ago."_

At a playground, a toddler with green and black unkempt hair was trembling with tears in his eyes. Behind him was a boy with chestnut hair. He was crying and curled up in a ball. "You're being mean to him, Kacchan," the boy said still trembling as he got into a fighting pose. "If you don't stop hurting him… I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!"

In front of him were 3 boys, one had ash-blond hair, another was chubby and the last one had long brown hair. The boys simply smirked as they prepared to gang up on the green head. "You really wanna try and be a hero?" The ash-blond said with a smirk as he punched his fist into his palm, generating an explosion. Meanwhile, the two kids behind him did extraordinary things as well, the chubby one spawned wings and flew up with the long-haired one extended his fingers to completely abnormal lengths, "As if you could ever be one without a Quirk, _Deku._"

Later, Izuku was laying down on the ground, beat up and bruised, looking up into the sky with the boy he was trying to defend earlier looking down at him, tears in his violet eyes. "Are you… okay?"

Izuku only nodded.

* * *

**TEN YEARS LATER**

That same boy, Midoriya Izuku, was tapping his pencil anxiously as he listened to Urobuchi-sensei droning on and on about the Meiji period. History wasn't Izuku's favorite subject. At least, not ancient history.

The Era of Quirks was far more Izuku's speed. Specifically, when All Might first appeared.

All Might, the Symbol of Peace. Whenever he arrived, the Villain was captured and nobody was hurt. He'd always appear with the widest grin on his face, his booming laughter echoing through the air no matter what kind of danger he plunged into.

Whether it was rescuing people, stopping criminals, or just getting a kitten out of a tree, no job was too large or too small for All Might. Evildoers dreaded his name while the innocent knew that everything was going to be alright when they saw his smile!

A goofy grin spread across Izuku's lips as he sketched a crude drawing of All Might's face into his notebook. He couldn't help it. Thinking about his idol always put him in a great mood.

_'Man, I wish I could see that video of him taking out those bank robbers earlier today. I can't believe it happened just a few blocks from here!'_

The bell rang and Izuku began packing his notebooks into his bag. "Not only that, All Might actually teamed up with Ingenium for that! It'll be the first time I've ever seen him be partnered with a speed Quirk user. I can see how Ingenium stacks up against All Might in that depart-!"

"Hey! Deku!"

Izuku winced, turning around to see his childhood friend Bakugo Katsuki sauntering towards him with a fierce scowl on his face.

"Your mumbling bullshit is getting on my nerves! I could hear it all the way from my desk!"

"S-sorry, Kacchan…" Izuku apologized while bowing his head. He had that problem ever since he was a kid and people have complained about it before. "I'm working on it and…"

"And what the hell are you doing obsessing over the speed of All Might and Ingen-whatever?" Bakugo asked with a sneer of contempt.

Izuku could hear his classmates mutter to themselves.

"Ah, geez here they go again…"

"I know Bakugo has an awesome Quirk, but he's way too pig-headed."

"Hey, better he be an ass to Midoriya than to us."

"Heh. True that. At least I've got a Quirk."

"Honestly, Midoriya's just sad…"

Izuku's heart sank as the chorus of insults and pity began. "W-Well, I mean, I just want to gather information and…"

"Dream on, Deku." Bakugo poked Izuku on the forehead hard enough to knock him to the floor. "Your scrawny little ass couldn't even hope to catch up to them. I mean, have you seen yourself in Phys Ed? It's a disgrace you're even competing against me, let alone all these other losers!"

"I-I was just…"

Izuku's gaze drifted to the ground. Everything Bakugo said was true. His physical condition was lacking…

…It was sad, really. Clinging to his dream like this. One would think he would devote his mind and body to training, like one of those comic characters of old…

But that was fiction. This was reality.

Bakugo clicked his tongue in annoyance, "So stop muttering or shouting that bullshit. You're distracting an elite like me from getting what I deserve."

With that, Bakugo sauntered away to meet up with Kohei and Masashi. Most of Izuku's classmates muttered or chuckled with one another but left Izuku alone. Except for one. "Hey, Midoriya-san, are you okay?" a soft voice asked him from behind.

Izuku turned his head around to face the speaker. She was named Milia Takamaki, one of the few girls who didn't appear to think of him in any negative light, and the only girl at the school who even bothered to talk to him. Because of that, she was the only girl he knew he could talk to somewhat comfortably. She was very cute too, having shoulder-length light ocean blue hair tied in a ponytail by a purple ribbon and deep purple eyes along with thick long black eyelashes. Over her eyes were a set of huge circular glasses, which made boys and girls alike view her as a cute meganekko (glasses girl). Her figure was slim and petite and she had a bust size that made most of the girls jealous.

"I-I'm fine, Takamaki-san," Izuku replied, picking himself up off the ground and bitting back the stinging tears building at the corners of his eyes.

"Midoriya, don't let what Bakugo said get to you," Milia said, offering him his bag. "I'm sure when given the chance, you'll become a great hero like All Might."

"…T-thanks, Takamaki-san," he took hold of his bag before the two left the classroom.

_'She's right. It doesn't matter what Kacchan says. There's a chance. There's always a chance. There has to be a chance for someone like me to be a Hero!'_

* * *

Once school ended, Izuku hung his head as he walked home through the streets of Musutafu, a sigh escaping his lips as Bakugo's words ran through his mind.

_'Takamaki's right, I can't let what Kacchan says get to me,'_ Izuku thought to himself with a shake of his head. _'So what if I'm not athletic? Some Heroes rely a lot on their tools. Snipe relies more on his marksmanship than how fast he can run or how hard he can punch! Yeah! If I just study enough, I can find a path best suited for me and…'_

Izuku stopped and stared at his reflection in a puddle on the sidewalk. _'Oh, why am I doing this to myself?'_

Izuku had been told all his life that his dream was unrealistic, impossible even. That without a Quirk he could not be a Hero. He didn't want to believe it. He couldn't believe it.

_'I still won't believe it!'_

But still, he needed to train if he wanted to have a hope of making it through U.A.'s physical tests. But that was six months away! What can he do to prove to himself that his dream wasn't impossible?

_'I need to get into U.A. first,'_ Izuku sighed for what felt like the hundredth time._ 'Kacchan will probably throw a fit when he finds out…'_

"Look, it's All Might!"

Izuku froze at the announcement. Without warning, Izuku ran ahead. Several other people had done the same, most of them hoping to catch a glimpse of the Symbol of Peace.

"Th-there he is!" Izuku pointed out. Jumping through the air was indeed All Might. He wore his classic blue and red spandex, his cape billowing in the air behind him. Under his arm, there was some overly large and slightly deformed man, most likely due to his Quirk, beaten unconscious. The boisterous laughter of the number one hero echoed through the air.

Izuku was grinning like a kid in a candy store, his glittering green eyes hiding no small amount of his admiration. "S-so cool… I actually got to see him… He looks even cooler in person…"

"Careful now. You'll drool at this rate," someone, a girl based on the voice, next to him pointed out with a small chuckle, glancing at Izuku from the side. "You a fan of his, aren't you?"

"Of course! All Might is amazing in every sense of the word!" Izuku declared without hesitation, still looking to the sky to watch as the hero continued to jump from building to building, his figure slowly shrinking in the distance. "Ever since I was little, I've always wanted to be a Hero just like… just like…" Izuku's grin finally began to disappear, his shoulders and pupils falling as he spoke. Harsh reality quickly evaporated what was left of his energetic stupor.

"Is something wrong?"

Izuku looked at the girl who was talking to him… and immediately froze up. She was a young woman with cyan eyes and very long, flaming red hair, not to mention a voluptuous figure, which included breasts that a lot of girls would kill to have. She also wore the standard U.A. uniform

Izuku's face began to turn the same shade of red as the girl's hair. "Uh,I'mfine!Sorrygottago!BYE!" Izuku then ran off, the redhead continued to watch him with interest.

* * *

_'I was talking to a girl that wasn't Takamaki! I was talking to a girl that wasn't Takamaki! I was talking to a girl that wasn't Takamaki! I was talking to a girl that wasn't Takamaki! I was talking to a girl that wasn't Takamaki!'_

Those nine words ran through his mind for the next half hour as he paced back and forth on a bridge near his apartment.

Eventually, he calmed down. Sighing, Izuku looked up into the sky as the sun began to set. After seeing All Might he lost track of time._ 'Takamaki-san is the only person I know who believes in me, but without a Quirk…'_ Izuku sat on a bench. "All I want is to be a hero. So why… Why is the world so cruel to me?"

"Uh, excuse me?" a voice spoke up.

Izuku broke out of his slump and looked to the side, seeing a raven-haired girl wearing a white, double-breasted blazer with a high collar and a gold trim that reaches halfway down her thighs, its sleeves elbow-length and cut off by wide pale blue cuffs, a large pink bow at her neck, a dark blue long-sleeved shirt with matching dress pants, white gloves and white boots.

Izuku, recognizing the uniform as Seiai Academy's, an all-girl hero school, blushed slightly upon seeing her, "Uh, y-yes?" he asked. _'I'm talking to a girl again! I'm talking to a girl again!'_

"I'm sorry, but I overheard you saying you wanted to be a hero, correct?" she asked.

"Y-y-yeah. T-that's all I w-want." Izuku answered, wondering what she wanted.

"Well, my name's Amano Yuuma, and… I think I can help."

Izuku blinked a few times, not sure if he heard that right. "Huh?"

"I know how you can be a hero," the girl clarified. "You just have to do me a few favors is all. Can we meet at Wookiees after school tomorrow?"

"Uh…" _'Just who is this girl? And why do I have a bad feeling about this?'_ "Sure…" he hesitantly agreed. "W-what's the favor?"

"Go on a date with me."

"Wha…"

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow!" at that the girl turned around and left.

Izuku, for his part, was still in shock that somehow he gotten a date along with a chance to fulfill his dream. In a daze, he went home.

* * *

"Midoriya Izuku of Class C-3."

Within a small club building at U.A.'s more open school grounds, there was one room that had a very gothic atmosphere. There were some couches surrounding a small table which held a chess set in the middle and desk table sitting at the end of the room. Sitting at the desk was the redhead Izuku had met earlier, looking through a folder which contained a profile on him.

"That's right," a blond boy with blue eyes said, standing in front of her. "I got all the info I could. It probably helps I'm in a neighboring class."

"Says here he's Quirkless," she said, closing the folder and setting it down.

"There isn't anyone at the school who doesn't know. His classmates, Bakugo Katsuki in particular, bully and belittle him because of that, the only exception being Takamaki-san. And Bakugo used to be his friends from what I heard."

The girl, for a brief moment, looked angry before calming down. "Even if he's Quirkless, I can feel that there's something oddly special about him. I just can't put my finger on it."

"You mean he has a Sacred Gear?" A petite girl sitting on a couch, eating ice cream, asked.

"Possibly," the redhead answered, folding her arms, "For now we should keep a close eye on him. We don't want to miss our opportunity."

* * *

The next day after school, Izuku went to the Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall as Yuuma asked him to do. He was still a little uneasy about this. A girl from a private all-girls hero school suddenly showing up saying she can help him become a hero? Something about that just didn't sit right with him.

He wanted to tell his mother about it, but she probably would've focused more on the part that a pretty girl just asked him out without warning. As the afternoon weighed on, Izuku waited near the front entrance. "She's sure taking her time," he noted. "Maybe this was a scam after all."

"I probably should've told mom, and called the police about it," he began. "I mean, assuming she even does show up, this will be my first date, but I barely even know her. And we aren't going anywhere fancy like a five-star restaurant or something… Maybe I should've changed out of my school uniform? Oh man, what is Amano-san going to wear? Does she think this is more of a casual thing? Or is she going to show up in a dress…?" as Izuku began one of his muttering sessions, he'd unknowingly began pacing around a lamppost. "Wait! What if we are going to a fancy restaurant?! Does-that-mean-I'm-underdressed!Did-Amano-san-set-up-a-reservation-or-something?Should-I-have-gotten-her-flowers?!Why-does-dating-have-to-be-so-complicate-"

_*Bonk*_

"OW!" Izuku cried out in pain, rubbing his forehead with a wince. He was so caught up with his thoughts and panic that he didn't realize that he was walking towards the lamppost until it was too late, and now he was paying the price. He just hoped that no one had seen him panicking and hurting himself like an idiot.

"Uh, excuse me, sir? Are you okay?"

_'…Why am I not surprised?'_ Still rubbing his temples, Izuku saw a young woman wearing a vampire-style outfit. "Y-yeah, I'm f-fine," Izuku answered, a slight blush adorned on his face.

The woman smiled before she handed him a flyer. "Take this for good luck." At that, she promptly left.

"Huh?" Izuku looked over the flyer. There was a strange pentagram, the words 'Make Your Wish Come True' at the top. "Okay… Weird."

"Midoriya-kun! Sorry for being late. Were you waiting long?" Came Yuuma's voice.

Izuku, hearing her, looked over and saw Yuuma wearing purple dress shoes, jeans, and a pink shirt. Izuku blushed at how she looked in her clothes, putting the flyer he'd received in his pocket. "I-It's f-fine."

"Good," she said as she wrapped her arm around his, "So, shall we go?"

Izuku screamed internally due to feeling Yuuma's breast pressed up against his arm. He nodded as his face turned red, and the two headed out.

Throughout the whole afternoon, Izuku and Yuuma spent time around the mall, trying on clothes, listening to CD's, and just having a good time. Soon they were at a cafe sharing a meal. As they each took a sip from their respective drinks, Izuku thought, _'So far this hasn't been that bad. I haven't fainted at least. But still, I wonder why she's doing this? And how will this help me become a hero?'_

As the day was coming to a close, the two were walking through a nearby park close together. Yuuma smiled as she took Izuku's hand into hers, making the boy sweat as his face turned red for the umpteenth time that day. _'She's holding my hand! A girl is holding my hand! A GIRL IS HOLDING MY HAND!'_

They stopped before the park fountain, as Yuuma spoke, "I had a wonderful time today, Midoriya-kun."

"I-I d-d-did too, A-A-Amano-san." Izuku muttered.

"Just one thing left to do before we make you a hero." She then promptly let go of his hand and stood in front of Izuku, kneeling down. "This will be the last favor."

Izuku began to sweat even more now._ 'Please tell me she doesn't want a kiss! I've barely handled the hand holding!'_ "Wha-What is it?"

Smiling, she leaned into him and whispered into his ear, "Would you die for me?"

"Uh, what?" Izuku began to back away. "I-I'm n-not s-sure I heard that r-right," he muttered nervously.

Yuuma's smile then turned into a wicked grin, her violet eyes darkening. "I want you… to _die_ for me." A pair of large, black bird-like wings jutted out from her back.

Izuku, in shock, staggered back. _'WINGS?! Where did those come from!? Are they her Quirk? They make her look like a demon!'_

"I will admit, I had fun today," she said in a more mature, sinister voice. "Considering how young and naive you were, things could've been far worse. But unfortunately, all good things must come to an end." She held out her hand as red light began to glow from her palm, forming a spear. "Time to die!"

"Ah! Amano-san! Wait!" Izuku pleaded, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.

_*SHINK!*_

A jolt ran through Izuku's brain as he felt a burning sensation rush through his gut. Looking down, a spear of light stuck through his torso. Blood spilled out of his wound, his shirt stained in red.

"You must be having a good time handling that rod like that. Are you into rods? Is that it?" she smiled. "Maybe I should pull it out for you." She gripped her spear and swiftly tore it out from his body, causing Izuku to scream out from the pain. "I'm sorry," she lied as the spear of light disappeared. "But the fact is you posed far too great a risk to us. If you want someone to blame, then blame Him. He's the reason you have the Sacred Gear."

_'What is she talking about?'_ Izuku thought as he fell to the ground.

"My name is Raynare, boy. Remember that in Hell. Oh, and thanks again for the date. It was fun~!" She laughed before flying off.

Tears began to stream down Izuku's face. _'Am I gonna die here… why? Why has the world been so cruel?!'_ With the little strength he had, he lifted his now bloody hand. _'Mom… Dad… I'm sorry… Please forgive me…'_ He then noticed the blood on his hand. _'Red… Same as that girl's hair… Why am I thinking of her now?'_ Unknown to him, the flyer he'd received earlier began to glow. _'I just wish… I was given a chance to become a hero…'_

Suddenly, the flyer flew out of his pocket and become a large, red magic circle. Form it emerged the redheaded girl. She gasped in shock upon seeing Izuku. "Oh no!" She raced to him, looking over his wound. "Looks like the work of a fallen angel. I can't believe I let one slip into my territory."

She then smiled. "Don't worry," she said in a reassuring way as she fiddled with a red chess piece in her hand. "I won't let you die. From now on, you'll live for my sake."

**A/N: Hello everyone! See, I was originally posting this story on Archive of Our Own when someone asked if I would post this at other fic archives like Wattpad or Fanfiction. I was actually planing to do so for a while, but it's quite the pain to post chapters here. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story.**


	2. Rias Gremory, The Devil

_"Morning is here! Morning is here! Morning is here! Morning is-"_

Izuku groaned as he reached out from under his bed to turn off his All Might alarm clock. He groaned some more before sitting straight up in bed causing his blanket to fall off.

"Ugh, what a nightmare," Izuku groaned, as he felt his head. He then looked down at his torso and lifted up his undershirt seeing there was no hole in his abdomen, "But… why did it feel so real." He got out of bed still feeling drowsy.

After getting dressed, Izuku went into the living room, where his mom sat on the couch watching the morning news. "There you are!" she said. "Did you know how worried I was last night. You never answered your phone. I thought one of those zealot murderers got you!"

Izuku blinked a few times in surprise. "Uh, I'm sorry mom. When I got home you were already asleep and my phone was dead." _'That's weird… My phone was dead yesterday, but I don't remember coming home at all.'_

"The next time you plan to stay out so late at least tell me in advance," Inko deadpanned. "You're breakfast is on the table."

"Okay."

* * *

After breakfast, Izuku went to school like normal, but for some odd reason, the sunlight just sapped him of energy. "So tired," he groaned at his desk. The school bell would ring soon, and everyone was clamoring to their seats.

Izuku's mind was still going over the 'dream' he had. _'Why did it feel so real?'_ He began to wonder if he was under the effects of someone's Quirk when the teacher arrived.

"Alright, nice to see everyone present for once," he said. "Today's lecture will cover the constellations. Pay attention because we'll have a test about this Saturday."

_'Maybe this will help clear my head.'_ Izuku thought as he prepared his school notebook.

* * *

It didn't. While the lectures and projects for his classes did help clear his head a little, by lunch Izuku had more questions than answers. And it didn't help that he felt tired every time he stepped outside into the sunlight. He was currently eating by himself under the shade of a tree, enjoying the lunch his mom prepared. "That defiantly wasn't a dream," he concluded. "But does that mean Amano-san really did kill me? If so, then how am I still alive? How was she able to create that light spear? Did her Quirk allow her to control light? And what's a Sacred Gear? And what did she mean by 'Him'? And who's voice did I hear after I blacked out?"

* * *

When school ended, Izuku had more questions than answers. It didn't help he felt tired all day. "Why is the sun making me feel so weird?" he asked himself as he walked home.

By the time Izuku made it back to his neighborhood, it had already turned dark with the sun setting in the distance. Strangely, he actually felt rejuvenated. And despite it being so dark, he could see clearly, better than during the day even. Not only that, he could clearly hear peoples conversations even if they're a block away. "What is happening to me?" He asked himself.

It wasn't obvious till now, but ever since this morning, Izuku felt his body was different somehow. Questions were spinning in his head, about to be unleashed as a mumble storm, when Izuku stopped in his tracks, a cold feeling running down his spine.

"Am I… being followed?"

Izuku slowly turned around behind him. From where the sun was setting, he could see a shapely figure walking forward to him. It was a man, middle-aged too. He was dressed in a pale gray trench coat over a white dress shirt with a matching ascot, black pants and shoes, a pair of black gloves, and a black fedora.

"Well, how unfortunate…" he said. "Me, bumping into something like you in a place like this."

Hesitantly, Izuku took a couple of steps back, instinct telling him that he should run. _'Who is this guy?!'_

"Trying to run?" the man asked as he drew closer. "Tell me boy, where's your master?"

Izuku turned around and ran as fast as he could, not daring to look back. He ran for what felt like hours before he finally stopped. Taking in his surroundings, Izuku saw he was at a small park near his apartment.

"I think…I…lost him…" he panted.

"Think again."

Izuku nearly jumped out of his skin, screaming as he turned around. The man had somehow followed him. The reason why? He had two large, black bird-like wings.

_'Those wings…! They're like Amano-san's! Does that mean they're related?!'_

As the man floated up in the air, he looked around, as if searching for something. "No sign of your friends or master, and no magic circles being deployed," he then looked to Izuku again, this time with a sadistic grin. "Therefore I will assume you are a stray."

_'Stray? Master? What is he talking about?!'_

Blue light emitted from the palm of his hand, soon forming a spear. "That means killing you won't be a problem!"

Izuku, realizing what was going to happen, tried to run-

_*SHINK!*_

Only to collapse to the ground, a spear of light stuck through his torso. "It… burns…" he gagged painfully. He tried to grab it, but his hands were burned by it.

"Light is a deadly poison to your kind," the man said. "Sorry for giving you so much pain. Looks like I missed the vital organs," the spear of light disappeared and reformed in the man's hand. "I won't miss this time!"

**BOOM!**

"GAHA!" the man gasped from the impact of a sudden explosion hitting his back, causing him to drop his spear, part of his coat burned to a crisp. The weapon instantly shattered and vanished as it hit the ground.

"Pardon me, but could you not touch that kid?" a third voice asked.

"Tch," the man glared at his attacker behind him. "I know you… you're the duke's daughter, right?"

"That's right," the mystery person said, stepping into a street light. "Rias Gremory, at your service. How do you do, fallen angel-san?" she introduced, performing a bow.

"R…Rias… Gremory…?" Izuku groaned, looking behind him. He recognized her as the U.A. student he met the other day.

"Don't tell me that this kid is your property?" the man demanded.

"He is," Rias smiled like a fox as she folded her arms, "And I won't hold back if you kill him."

"Very well. I'll apologize today," the man released his wings and took off into the air. "But I advise you not to let your servant loose again. There are others like me who would prefer to hunt him down."

"Thanks for the advice, but this city is under my protection," Rias warned, "If any of your friends interfere, don't blame me if you get turned to ashes for it."

"I'll keep that in mind. My name is Dohnaseek. Till next time, Gremory princess!" he shouted, flying off into the night air.

Izuku was barely able to register what had just happened with the burning hole in his torso. The man was a fallen angel? Did that mean Yuuma was a fallen angel too? And how did this Rias person drive him off? What was happening? He couldn't think anymore as he fell on his face and darkness enveloped his vision.

* * *

_"Morning is here! Morning is here!"_

The sound of Izuku's alarm violated his ears. Snorting in irritation, he rubbed his eyes as his sight adjusted to the morning sun. He slowly sat up and slammed his alarm shut. "Huh? I'm still alive?" Izuku muttered to himself groggily. "I thought that guy with the black wings was trying to kill me, then that red-haired girl saved my life." He gave out a tired yawn. "I guess it really was just a bad dream…"

He flipped the sheets off his body, only to look down to realize something very, very wrong. "Huh?! I'm NAKED?!"

Then he noticed something else. His head twitched like a clock as he slowly turned his head. Next to him in his bed was Rias, sleeping soundly in the nude. His mind was a blur, unable to comprehend what was happening. There, lying in his bed, was a beautiful girl from U.A. High. How the hell did that manage to even happen? "Ah… ah… ah…" Izuku whispered, blood slowly dripping from his nose and 'junior' standing in attention. _'There's a naked girl next to me! Oh my God, what do I-'_ "AGH!" A sudden, sharp pain exploded in his head like a bullet had just bolted through, causing him to clutch his eyes and temple. Unfortunately, this caused the girl to stir from her sleep.

She moaned softly as her eyes fluttered open. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she sat up and faced Izuku in all her naked glory, "Oh, good morning Izuku-kun."

"Go… good morning," Izuku nodded shyly. "Um… and, uh?"

"Hm?" Rias smiled, "What is it?"

"I-I-I-I c-can s-s-see your b-b-b-b-b-," he whispered, unable to finish.

"That's fine," she smiled slyly, cupping her mounds, "In fact, you can look at them all you like."

"Huh?!" Izuku gasped, blood running from his nose. He shook his head and wiped the blood from his nose, "Wha-wha-wha… what's going on?! How did we get here?! How did you fight off that guy with the wings?! And how do you know my name?!"

"One question at a time," Rias laughed. "That man was a fallen angel, and he is our natural enemy. And I brought you here through a magic circle."

"Huh? Magic?" Izuku said in disbelief. He blushed as Rias gently cupped his face and caressed his cheek.

"That's right," Rias purred, "You see, I'm a devil and also your master. A pleasure to meet you, Midoriya Izuku. And please, call me Rias-san for now."

"R-Rias-san? You…? You're a devil?" Izuku blinked, trying his best not to gaze too much at the older girl's hourglass figure. "You mean fire and brimstone, horns and pitchforks kind of devil?"

"Oh, no. Nothing like that, love," Rias laughed, waving it off. She sat on the edge of the bed next to him and rested her hand against her knee. "While humans tend to look at us that way, devils are hardly anything like that."

"Uh… right," Izuku cocked his head. Rias' smile turned mischievous as an idea formed in her head. Scooting closer, she looped her arms over his and rested her head on his own. "R-R-Rias-san!?" Izuku blushed brighter, "What are you-?"

"Well, if you want to get to know your companion start by sitting side down with them side-by-side," Rias elaborated, "That's Dating 101. Now you know. I bet from here on out you'll never make the boorish mistake of sitting across from your date, will you?" She emphasized her point by squeezing her perky nipple against his arm. Izuku's eyes grew large as his face became bright red, sweating intensely. His breathing intensified. Rias just continued teasing him, stroking her fingers over his bare chest like a brush on paper. Then, she leaned her lips close to his ear and blew a gentle breeze. Shuddering, Izuku backed up to the other side of his bed.

Rias couldn't help but giggle, looking at his embarrassed face. _'It's really fun to tease him like this.'_ As she looked around his room, Rias noted all the All Might merchandise he had. "I knew you were a hero fanboy, especially All Might, but this is a bit much."

Somehow Izuku's blush turned redder. "I greatly admire him…"

Then, to his abject horror, he could hear footsteps approaching his door with his mother's voice coming closer, "Izuku! Don't tell me you're oversleeping! If I have to drag you out of bed, I will!"

Izuku began to panic as he jumped from his bed. "Crap! It's Mom! How am I gonna explain this?! Oh God- ARG!" The same pain from before rocketed through him. And, like before, the pain lasted only for a short moment before it subsided just as quickly. "Why does that keep happening…?"

"That's normal for devils," Rias explained, not looking the least bit worried that Izuku's mother was about to walk in on them, "Just thinking of God let alone praying to Him is enough to give you a headache."

"Never mind! We have to get decent- no, I have to get decent and I need you to hide before mom sees you! At least put on a shirt!" Izuku shouted, trying to reach over his bed to find something to cover his legs. Unfortunately, he didn't get far enough as Inko had already opened the door.

"Izuku, breakfast is almost ready! So get out… of… bed…" She lost track of her words upon seeing the crimson-haired girl in her son's bed in her birthday suit. Not only that, Izuku was above her with both of his hands on either side of her head, also butt naked.

Inko's face was the definition of shock, her eyes bulged and her mouth opened so wide you could lay eggs in it. Izuku didn't fare any better. He couldn't do anything else but smile nervously at the sight of his mother with sweat pouring from his face. Rias, on the other hand, was the only one who didn't look remotely disturbed as she gave a winning smile. "Ah, you must be Izuku-kun's mother. Good morning. I'm Rias Gremory."

"H… hello, Rias-chan," Inko could only say. Slowly edging away from the door, she said, "Um… I'll let you carry on while I finish breakfast." She slowly closed the door.

Izuku just stared and uttered, "Oh dear God, please let me fly away…" He then winced as he felt another headache.

Rias simply giggled before she stood up. She soon began to get dressed, her clothes neatly placed in the corner of the room. "How's your stomach?" she asked.

Izuku then remembered he was stabbed last night. "How did…"

"I teleported us back to your room and stayed with you to heal your injury," she replied as she put on a skirt. "It works best when we're in the nude so I used you as a hug pillow." Izuku went lava red once again, his head steaming. A haughty, almost lustful smirk appeared on Rias' face, "And I must say, I never expected someone of your age to be so… mighty~." Izuku's nose began to bleed as his whole head turned a darker shade of red. "And don't worry, we're still virgins."

"Wh-why are you doing this?!"

"Because teasing you is so much fun."

* * *

The walk to his school was _far_ longer than usual. Izuku's face was one of complete and total embarrassment throughout the way. As he got closer to his school, the more students saw who he was with. The boys were glaring daggers at him, their faces twisted in looks of envy. The girls were whispering at each other with either looks of confusion and wonder or total suspicion. The cause of all this? How about the fact that Rias was walking next to him with her arm looped around his? She was so close he could smell her strawberry perfume. It was so intoxicating.

"Uh, Ri-Rias-san?" Izuku began, just barely able to form that sentence. "Do you have to stand so close to me?" Izuku asked, hesitant.

"After what happened last night I didn't want to take the chance." Rias smiled at him, not minding the looks, "Besides, most guys would kill to be where you are now."

"Yeah… I can see that." Izuku muttered nervously, looking at the murderous glares from most of the male half of the crowd.

Rias couldn't help but look at his face in amusement. It was in such a deep crimson that it could easily be matched with her crimson hair, "You haven't been this close to a girl before, have you?"

"N-not recently," Izuku admitted shyly, "O-Other than my mom, a-and sometimes Takamaki-san, I-I c-can't say I have much e-experience with girls. I tend to freeze up whenever any girl gets close to me, let alone a pretty one."

"Oh dear," Rias said cheerfully, "So you think I'm pretty?"

"W-well, don't a lot of people do?" Izuku stuttered. He was still red in the face and Rias was loving every second of it.

"Well, your mother seemed to think so. She's a rather sweet woman," Rias replied.

Izuku didn't give a response as his face became somewhat uncertain. Instead, his mind wandered back to how breakfast went.

* * *

_"IZUKU! _I'M_ SO HAPPY! YOU FINALLY BROUGHT A FRIEND OVER! AND IT'S A GIRL!" Inko cried as she hugged her son, squeezing him tight, tears of happiness flying off her eyes like fountains. "I can't believe this is happening! My baby boy brought over a girl to visit! And a very cute one too! Oh Izuku, I'm so happy for you! You're growing up so fast!"_

_"Mom! Please!" Izuku pleaded, trying to escape from the smoothing of his mother. "Not in front of Rias-san!"_

_"Oh, you," Inko smiled, letting go of her son and wiping away her tears. "Don't be so shy. It's natural for boys your age to do this and that with a girl like her. _Me_ and Hisashi didn't do it until we were in high school but you get my drift." She giggled as her face became flushed, "It was fun to have him underneath me in the sack…"_

_"Mom!" Izuku groaned, his face red. "I don't need to know how you had me!"_

_"So, Rias-chan was it?" Inko asked, turning to the other woman at the table. "Sorry for being like that. It's just… It's been so long since my son brought anyone home and I got a little emotional… Please, don't mind me."_

_"It's fine, Mrs. Midoriya," Rias assured, having enjoyed the emotional woman's show._

_"Oh, there's no need to be so formal, dear. You can call me Inko, if you want," Inko insisted. "Pardon me for asking, but are you a U.A. student?"_

_"Yes, ma'am," Rias confirmed, "I'm currently a first-year in the general studies course. And I must say, I didn't expect you to look so young. I thought you were his older sister for a moment."_

_"Oh my!" Inko giggled daintily, "Most of the people on my side of the family do appear young even in adulthood. The only thing negative about it is that it's rather tough to get jobs or needing to show ID to get certain things." She sighed and cleared her throat behind her fist, "So Rias-chan, how did you and my son meet?"_

_"I was walking home from school about a week ago when I meet him watching some heroes stop some purse-snatchers," Rias explained, not missing a beat. "He was taking notes about the heroes, and when I approached him he looked like he was about to have a heart attack. When he finally calmed down we talked for a bit and he told me about how he wanted to become a great hero like All Might. We stayed a little later than we thought yesterday so we went home together." Izuku blinked at how quickly Rias answered. He had to admit that it was a nice save. He wasn't sure how he would explain the events of yesterday to his mother._

_But how did Rias know about him wanting to become a hero?_

_"So that's the case," Inko nodded, "Just promise that you'll keep my son safe."_

_"I'll do what I can, Inko-san," Rias promised her._

* * *

With a groan, Izuku said, "Thanks for stopping mom from making a fuss about… ya know…" He was somewhat thankful that Rias had altered his mother's memories of seeing them naked, but he wasn't sure he liked that she did it.

Rias giggled at that as they arrived at Izuku's school, where the stares intensified, and gossip had already erupted from them.

"OMG! Who is that with Midoriya-kun?"

"No way! Is that a U.A. Student?!"

"Are they dating? Really? Are they dating?"

"Why would a U.A. student date a Quirkless kid like him?"

"But they do look pretty cute together. Like an otouto/onee-sama kind of couple."

"Waa! So cute!"

"Damn you, Midoriya! Gah!"

"As if things weren't bad enough for me here," Izuku groaned.

"Hey, don't be so negative. They are right about one thing," Rias grinned at him with a glint in her eyes. Her teeth, he noticed, looked rather sharp. Though he couldn't help but feel enchanted by her smile. Maybe it was just part of her charm. "We do look pretty cute together~." Izuku looked away in shyness.

"P-please s-stop t-teasing m-me," Izuku stammered.

"You're too cute," she said playfully, poking him on the cheek. "Anyway, I have to head over to U.A. now. I'll send someone to pick you up later."

"Uh, ok," Izuku nodded. "Where should I wait?"

"Just wait in your class. See you later." She gave a lady-like wave and a wink before turning around to her class, making sure to put an extra swing in her steps. Izuku naturally stared as she left, her backside hypnotic. He realized what he was doing and quickly shook himself out of it.

Turning around, he saw a bunch of male students glaring at him. This won't end well.

* * *

Izuku leaned over his chair trying to ignore the stares from the rest of his classmates. It didn't seem to be working as he was practically in the center of the room. It had been like that all day. Even Bakugo was glaring daggers, wondering how the hell Izuku got a pretty girl from U.A. High to accompany him to school.

"This is gonna stay with me for a long time, isn't it?" Izuku muttered from under his breath. Classes had ended a little while ago, and he was currently waiting for whoever Rias had sent to pick him up.

"Uh, Midoriya-san?" The quiet voice of Milia spoke up.

Izuku turned his head to her. "Uh, yeah? What is it, Takamaki-san?" Izuku asked, feeling a little relaxed with a pleasant face in front of him.

"Is it true?" Milia asked, "Did you really arrive at school with Gremory-senpai today?"

Izuku blinked a couple of times. "You know her?"

"You… could say that," Milia replied. "Let's say we're in similar social circles."

Izuku nodded. "Yeah, she did come with me."

"Oh. That's… interesting," Milia replied. "You know, I don't think Gremory-senpai has ever been seen dating anyone for a long time. If she has her eyes set on you, she must find you very special."

"R-really?" Izuku muttered. "W-what's so s-special about me?"

"Your unwavering kindness, for one, but whatever the case is I think she might've made the right choice in picking you," Milia smiled, pressing the rim on her glasses, her face adorned with a light blush.

Izuku felt a chill go up his spine from the way Milia looked at him. _'When was it that girls started getting so weird?'_ he thought to himself, looking away nervously while blushing.

Bakugo scowled at the two, having a hard time believing that Deku was so oblivious to Milia's crush on him. "Idiots…" he growled.

Izuku's waiting seemed to finally come to an end when the door opened, causing all the girls in the room to flush with heavy breathing and dreamy sighs, and some of the boys to all sulk and mumble in envy. Izuku didn't have to look to see the cause of the commotion, but he did anyway. It was a boy the same age as him, Kiba Yuuto of Class B-3. He had short blond hair and blue eyes, dressed in the uniform for boys that appeared to be neatly pressed and brown loafers.

Izuku had heard that Yuuto was considered by many to be Aldera Junior High's prince charming. For good reason too, as plenty of girls seemed to flock around him pretty much all the time. He was the epitome of a perfect gentleman, though was also seen as the bane of many boys for attracting such pretty girls, evident by the sight of a few boys scowling at him in contempt.

Yuuto hadn't even managed to move from the doorway before he got mobbed by a group of girls. Being the gentleman he was, he accommodated the girls for a short time before politely excusing himself and walked over to Izuku's desk.

"Hi," Yuuto smiled, "Midoriya-kun?"

"Uh, yeah," Izuku replied.

"Rias-san asked me to come get you," Yuuto told him. "Would you mind following me?"

"Uh, sure," Izuku nodded, standing up with his bag.

"Rias-san… does he mean that redheaded girl?" one girl said. "Then what happened this morning… was real?!"

"That U.A. Student sent Kiba-kun for him?" a second girl blinked. "Why?"

"No clue."

"Is it me… or do they look like a Yaoi pairing!" a third girl squealed.

"KYA! A Kiba x Midoriya pairing!"

"That's so hot…!"

"What the fucking hell?" Bakugo grumbled, not sure how to process what was happening before him. The school's pretty boy taking Deku away to see some hot chick, with all the girls in class squeeing over the two like they're leads in a boys love manga.

"Can we please go now?" Izuku asked, starting to get very uncomfortable.

"Yeah, yeah, we're leaving now," Yuuto laughed in a good-natured way as they both left for the hallway. "I'm sure you have plenty of questions to ask."

"Yeah, I do," Izuku nodded.

* * *

The two remained silent for the rest of the trip. The trip in itself took longer than Izuku thought, and in a familiar direction. "Are we heading to U.A.?"

"To one of the more public buildings, yes," Yuuto answered.

While most of U.A.'s campus was not open to the public, there were some areas made for public use, like the clubs hosted by the general studies student body.

Izuku started to get nervous. This wasn't how he expected his first trip to U.A. to be like. He began to sweat a little when they eventually reached the destination, a two-story building that looked like it was straight out of a horror movie.

There was a sign above the front door that read 'Occult Research Club'. "Occult research…?"

"Rias-san will explain everything. C'mon," Yuuto spend the door and held it open for Izuku. "We mustn't keep her waiting." Yuuto urged him. Izuku nodded and followed Yuuto inside. The inside, unlike the outside, was rather nice. Old gothic-style furniture and marble floors gave it a rather nice touch. If only there was better lighting, as the inside still looked like a horror movie set.

"And here we are," Yuuto said, opening the last door in the hall. Izuku stepped inside and looked around the room. Looking around, he could see that several sofas and tables were set up together orderly. There was even a pentagram at a corner, and a few paintings hanging on the wall. Sitting on one of the sofas was a young girl, likely a year younger than Izuku at least, quietly munching on a pastry

She was a short, petite girl with white hair and hazel eyes. At the front, her hair had two long bangs going past her shoulders and several loose bangs hanging over her forehead, while the back had a short bob cut. She also wore a black cat-shaped hair clip on both sides of her hair.

"Koneko-chan," Yuuto said, grabbing the shorter girl's attention, "I'm sure already know about Midoriya-kun." Koneko turned her eyes to Izuku and studied him silently.

"Ah… hello?" Izuku greeted quietly. Koneko simply gave a curt nod before going back to eating her sweets.

"You'll get used to it," Yuuto told him, "Koneko doesn't really get along with new people much till she knows them better."

"I'll… take your word for it," Izuku nodded, glancing aside. "Is there anyone else?"

"No, not yet. Right now, the club hasn't been finalized yet," Yuuto answered. "Once we start attending U.A. we'll need at least two more people in order to officially form the ORC."

Izuku blinked a few times at what Yuuto said. "Wait, you're applying for U.A. too?"

"Only for the general studies. I'm not interested in being a hero."

Izuku nodded, glancing aside. He had heard that not everyone who went to U.A. applied for the heroics department, but he never met anyone like that till now. He blinked as he turned to another room that was centered off, the sound of rushing water coming from it, "Wait… is that a shower that I hear?"

"That would be Rias-san," Yuuto told him, "She's a stickler for cleanliness."

"So she had a shower installed in the clubroom…? That's not even her's yet…?"

Eventually, the sound of a shower turning off was heard. A minute later, Rias stepped out of the room. "Oh good, you're here," She stepped out dressed in her uniform and combing her hair, the scent of the body wash still fresh on her. "Glad you could make it, Izu-kun."

"Uh, yeah sure!" Izuku blushed upon the nickname Rias gave him.

"I'm sure you would like some answers now, correct?" Izuku nodded. Rias then sat down at the desk. "I'll be blunt then. Remember when I told you that I was a devil?"

"Uh, yeah…"

"Well, so is everyone else here, and that includes you." With a snap of her fingers, jet-black wings to stretch out of the backs of her Yuuto, and Koneko, which didn't seem to shred their clothing from the way they shot out. Izuku felt something pulse in his back before the very same wings jumped out from behind him as well, much to his disturbance.

"Huh? What?!" Izuku gasped, looking at the black objects sticking out from him. "This is real?! I'm not dreaming?!"

"I assure you, Midoriya-kun, this is very real," said Yuuto. "It's a lot to take in, believe me."

"I'll continue," Rias said, folding her arms. "The reality is that not just devils, but angels, fallen angels, and other supernatural beings exist. Some benevolent, and others not so much. In the term of us devils, we make pacts with humans to obtain power, while fallen angels use humans as tools to destroy us. Moreover, God has commanded the angels to destroy both us and the fallen angels. We've been in a three-way standoff for a long time now."

Izuku blinked a few more times. "You're right Kiba-san. This is a lot to take in."


	3. New Life as a Devil

Angels? Fallen angels? Devils? They were all real? And now he was a devil too? What… what did this all mean? How did he get roped all into this? There were the questions going through Izuku's head as he sat on one of the sofas in the ORC room. "What… does this have to do with me?"

"Remember the night you were killed?" Izuku's response was a mix of shock and terror. "You're 'date' Amano Yuuma was really a fallen angel called Raynare. I'm still not sure how or why, but lately several fallen angels have been gathering in this city. Raynare was likely ordered to kill you because of your Sacred Gear. If I had known what kind of danger you were in we would've intervened the moment you met her."

"Sacred Gear? Oh yeah! I remember Amano- I mean Raynare mentioned that. What is it?"

"Sacred Gears, or God's Artifacts as some call them, are items with powerful abilities bestowed upon certain humans," Rias answered. "Think of them as like very special Quirks. In fact, many powerful and influential humans throughout history had Sacred Gears. You've likely heard of a few of them. King Arthur Pendragon, Joan of Arc, Hercules, Beowulf, Sinbad the Sailor, Guan Yu… and those are just a handful of them."

"Those are all legendary heroes from various stories all over the world," Izuku realized.

"Right on the money," Rias smiled again, "You see, every religion, every pantheon that has ever been mentioned, is or was real. Stories throughout each legend has at least a few heroes who can use a Sacred Gear. But only humans or those with human ancestry are born with Sacred Gears. As such devils, angels, and fallen angels often have to turn to humans who have these powers."

Izuku then looked to where the hole should be in his stomach. "Is that why you turned me into a devil?"

"Yes," Rias nodded. "When I meet you the other day, I saw something interesting in you so I decided to keep a close eye. Do you remember this?" from a drawer, she pulled out a very familiar flyer.

Izuku recognized it right away. "Wait… that's the flyer that one girl gave me!"

"Right," said Rias. "As I said, a devil needs a signed contract in order to use a human's power. To forge an agreement with that human a devil must complete their wishes, and then they gain something else of equal price in return. However, humans who draw pentagrams these days are almost non-existent, so we use things like this flyer to create contracts."

Izuku nodded. He was still having trouble taking this all in. On one hand, he was now a devil. On the other hand, he would probably be dead if it wasn't for Rias. "So, I'm a devil now, and also your servant?"

"Right." Rias smiled. "High-class devils like me need a peerage, or a team of servants, to rise up in the ranks of the devils. The more interesting the servants, the more that devil is recognized."

Izuku nodded. "But wait, that guy last night thought I was a stray. What does that mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like," Rias answered. "A stray devil is a devil with no master, either because their master died or the stray killed them to obtain freedom."

_'Considering she turned me into a devil without my say in it, I can see one reason why.'_ Izuku thought to himself.

"Have you heard about some of the murders going on in Musutafu?"

"Yeah, the news said that religious fanatics were the cause," Izuku said, still feeling on edge.

"And they're not entirely wrong," Rias confirmed, "Some of those murders are caused by stray devils, wantonly devouring any human unfortunate enough to wander in their parlor. But that's only a few of the murders. Most are caused by fallen angels, stray priests, and demon slayers. They kill humans who come into contact with us, believing them to be tainted. They are especially dangerous to us because their powers are supported by the prayer of God. This city has been put under my protection, and it's my job to keep any more tragedies from happening."

"So then… you're like Musutafu's secret warriors?" Izuku asked.

"For the most part," Yuuto nodded.

"Wow…" Izuku looked down on the floor and shuffled his feet. He honestly didn't know what to think anymore. "I… I need to get some air. I really need time to process this."

"Understandable," Rias nodded, "You can go on ahead."

"Thank you," with a bow, Izuku stood up and went to the door to walk out.

He had forgotten about the wings on his back, causing them to get caught in the doorway. Izuku pulled hard against the door, groaning as he struggled to break free.

"Ah, sorry about that," Rias said quickly. She snapped her fingers, making Izuku's wings vanish. The momentum caused him to fall flat on his face with a thud. Izuku twitched slightly before slowly getting back up and walking away, grumbling.

"He seems to have taken it better than expected," Yuuto said.

"It did look like he felt conflicted though," Koneko spoke.

"Perhaps, but I did that to save him," Rias said. "I'm sure he'll be ready after he's had some time to think."

* * *

Izuku stepped out of the building, nursing the bruise on his head. He wasn't sure what to think. He had been turned into a devil, a demon of sorts. What did it mean for his humanity? His life? Was he going to have to give up on his dream? The sunlight draining him right as he stepped outside certainly didn't help.

"I don't even know what to think," he groaned. Looking around, he spotted a bench not far from the ORC building and decided to sit down. "Sacred Gear… I don't even know what I have, but it's apparently powerful enough that a fallen angle tried to kill me because of it. Does that mean it's as powerful as All Might's Quirk, or even greater?Wouldn't-that-mean-other-heroes-are-really-using-Sacred-Gears-instead-of-Quirks?If-so-then-if-I-can-master-my-Sacred-Gear-I-can-be-a-hero?But-what-would-Kacchan-think-about-it?"

"I think he would be rather envious."

"Gah!" Izuku looked up and saw Rias standing nearby, a slight look of amusement on her face. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough," she replied. "Was that one of your famous mumble sessions?"

"Uh… yeah… How did you-"

"Yuuto-kun told me about them." Rias then sat down next to him. "I take it you're still unsure."

"I am," Izuku answered. "Don't get me wrong, I am grateful to you for saving me, but… I didn't ask to become a devil."

"Yes, I know. Sorry," Rias sighed, "Listen, you're probably thinking that becoming a devil means you'll have to give up your humanity, right?"

"Isn't that what people usually say?" Izuku said.

"In my opinion, humanity is an ideal and not a state of being," she continued. "There are humans that act more twisted and evil than any devil, such as certain villains like Toxic Chainsaw or Harima Oji. Such humans are so twisted that even most devils want nothing to do with them. Just because you're a devil, doesn't quite mean you stop being human or stop acting like one."

"So basically, the only thing that sets me apart from other humans are the wings on my back and aversion to light?" Izuku questioned.

"You'll get used to sunlight eventually. Devils also don't normally have Quirks, and there are several cultural differences," Rias said. "But other than that, devils really aren't all that different from humans. It's one of the reasons why contracts between both races are so simple. Each side has something they want, whether it's sinful or not."

"Hm…" Izuku muttered, thinking about her words. "Rias-san…" he began. "Even though I'm a devil now, do you think… I can be a hero?"

Rias smiled, and said, "Yes. I believe you have what it takes to be a hero."

It took a moment for her words to sink in, but when they did Izuku began sobbing. But these were tears of joy. Rias reached over and hugged him, placing his head in her ample bosom as he wept.

* * *

The next day after school, Rias and Izuku had met at a small park to begin his training. The U.A. Entrance Exam was four and a half months away, and Izuku needed to both learn about his Sacred Gear's abilities and bulk up. Currently, Izuku, in a mint green tracksuit, was doing laps around a park near his apartment. What was slowing him down was a large tire with a rope tied around it and connected to his waist, with Rias sitting on that tire, wearing the standard U.A. gym uniform. The combined weight was making him work harder, making him sweat out like a fountain, water droplets forming into a dark stained path in the dirt as he went.

"Hey, don't slack off," Rias said, her arms folded. "If you slow down I'll add ten more laps."

"Sorry…" Izuku panted tiredly, "Gonna… try… harder…!"

"You'd better," Rias answered back. "In the world of devils, strength is absolute. The stronger you are the easier it is to rise up in ranks. I can't have any of my servants getting weak so a training regiment is to be done every day. This is also in preparation for the U.A. entrance exam, so get moving."

"H… hai…" Izuku groaned.

Not long after he finished jogging, Rias immediately had him doing push-ups. That in itself wouldn't have been too much of a problem despite his muscles being already sore but the pressure was added on with having to do 100 of them, and Rias was sitting on top of his back. She wasn't heavy of course but having someone sit on top you while you were doing push-ups just made things harder.

"64… remind me again… 65… why you're… 66… on my back…?" Izuku asked, his voice wheezing in the midst of his pushups.

"You need to increase your stamina a lot more than it already is," Rias said to him plainly. "Power means nothing if you don't have the ability to handle it. Your abilities will be more powerful if your basic physical stamina becomes stronger. And if your body is unfit, then your magic and demonic power could wear it down."

"Stamina… 69… fit body… 70… got it… 71!"

"If you're talking while doing pushups, it must mean that you've improved," Rias said, a sly look appearing on her face, "Shall I add another hundred?"

"No ma'am!" Izuku quickly shouted.

"Then come on! Go faster!"

"R-right! 75…!" _'She's enjoying this a little too much.'_

By the time Izuku had gotten to one hundred, his muscles were pulsing and aching, and he could do nothing but lay flat on his face in exhaustion. He gave a silent groan, wishing he could just crawl back in bed again.

"Good job!" said Rias. "You manage to finish within the time allowed. I'm impressed." She took out a water bottle from her bag and handed it to Izuku.

"Th-thank you," Izuku greedily took the bottle and began to chug the liquid.

As he finished half of the bottle, Rias said, "Now we can start learning more about your Sacred Gear."

Izuku put away the half-finished bottle. "So, what should I do to use it?"

"First we need to figure out what it is," Rias then grabbed hold of his left hand, causing the younger boy to blush. "From what I can tell it seems to be within your left hand. Try focusing your feelings into your hand."

"Uh, okay," Izuku closed his eyes, doing what he was told. Suddenly, an armored bracer emerged from his hand. It was red with yellow accents and a green jewel on top of the palm area. "Holy whoa! I did it! …But what is it?"

Rias took a good, long look over Izuku's Sacred Gear. "Hmm… I'm not sure. It's possible it's in a dormant state at the moment." Suddenly, it disappeared.

"Wha-What happened?!"

Rias sighed. "It looks like you still have some way to go," she then smirked. "But if you can keep training, I'm sure you'll be able to get it up and keep it up for a long time."

This caused Izuku's face to once again turn lava red. "Wh-why d-did y-y-you s-say it l-like t-that?!"

"Because you're too easy."

* * *

A week into his new life as a devil, and Izuku was jogging by himself at the park, Rias, Yuuto, and Koneko were busy fulfilling contracts. Izuku was rather surprised by how simple and straightforward working as a devil was. He had to send out pamphlets that served as tools to summon a devil the previous night. According to Rias, in the devil world, it was essential to rise through the ranks and gain recognition. There were three ways of doing that. Military accomplishments were the fastest way but were very difficult because they were often always dangerous. The three fractions were also at a ceasefire, so that would also make things difficult. Making contracts with humans was the most common way, but was also tedious and had the longest route. The third and final way was through a Rating Game, but Rias said she would go into a deeper explanation of that later.

After spending the day of handing out flyers to people, the night came and it was time to answer to the clients. A common thing most devils had was the ability to teleport through magic circles. They would have to use these portals to reach clients quickly

But since his demonic power was still incredibly low, Izuku couldn't simply teleport to the clients and thus was forced to ride a bike to them. Between his schoolwork and his training, Izuku was only able to do a couple of jobs, but one of them ended rather… disturbingly. The image of the muscle man Mil-tan in a very revealing magical girl cosplay still haunted him.

At least now he was able to summon his Sacred Gear more easily, but he and Rias still didn't know what it was yet. Rias had said that part of the reason she went to this meeting was to look for any information about it.

Izuku definitely wanted to learn more about his Sacred Gear, but for now, he focused on his training. As he neared Dagoba Municipal Beach Park, he noticed a couple of girls hauling away some old microwaves.

The first was rather petite with a slender build and is a little shorter than Izuku. Her hair is short, only around chin length, and is dark purple in color with an asymmetrical fringe, two lighter streaks shaped like sound waves on either side of her head. But her most prominent features are the flexible, plug-like earphone jacks hanging from each of her earlobes at the end of two thin cords. She was wearing a dark purple tank top and black sweat pants with white sneakers.

The other girl had a rather mature figure, being slightly taller than Rias, with long black hair tied into a spiky ponytail with a single bang hanging on the right side of her face. They also seemed to be about the same age as Izuku. Her attire was similar to the first girls, only she had a light red tank top that revealed a bit of her sports bra and short jeans that stopped just above her knees.

The girl with the earlobes seamed to be in pain. "Don't give up yet, Kyoka! We're almost done for the day!" the taller girl encouraged.

"I… can't… keep up!"

Suddenly, the earlobe girl, Kyoka, tripped on something and began to fall. She screamed, closing her eyes, but nothing broke her fall. "You okay?" Opening her eyes, Kyoka saw that Izuku had caught the microwave, which helped stop her fall.

"Uh, yeah. Thanks."

Izuku and Kyoka put down the microwave next to a trash bin… which had several other microwaves, an old refrigerator, and a couple bags of scrap next to it. "Uh, w-what are you guys doing?" Izuku asked them.

"Just cleaning up the beach," the other girl answered.

"That beach?" Izuku pointed at the giant piles of trash that litter the beach. "I've heard that because of the ocean currents things dumped into the water wash up here. People use that so they can illegally dump their trash. Why are you cleaning it?"

"Well, we're trying to clean it up as a workout. We're applying to U.A. in a few months." Izuku's eyes widen in surprise when the other girl said this. "A friend recommended it, saying it would also help give back to the community, which is what heroes from before the rise of Quirks did."

"You're applying to U.A. too?" he said.

"Yep…" Kyoka panted. "But… I might… die… before then…"

"You lasted this long, so you'll be fine," said the well-endowed girl. "Anyway, I'm Yaoyorozu Momo," she gestured to Kyoka, who was still panting. "And this is Jiro Kyoka." Kyoka simply waved as she drank the water. "And you are?"

"Oh! I-I'm M-Midoriya I-I-Izuku." Izuku stuttered causing the two girls to laugh a little. He then blinked as realization dawned on him. "I think I know you two. Weren't you saved from a sludge villain by All Might a few months ago?"

Momo gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah. It hasn't been easy these last few months, and not just because of the training…"

Izuku then looked back at the trash-covered beach, wondering why he or Rias didn't think of it. "You've been trying to clean up the beach by the U.A. exams? How long have you been at it?"

"Around five months now," Momo answered. "We started in May."

"Oh wow. That sounds nearly impossible."

"I said the same thing…" Kyoka grunted.

"We can get it done in time," said Momo. "If we keep moving forward, we'll both be in U.A. before we know it!"

Izuku smiled at them. They were just as serious as getting into U.A. as him. "I'm sure you two can do it. We all will if we work hard." Izuku said clenching his fist. "I need to get going. Good luck," Izuku then continued on his jog. "Maybe I'll stop by and help sometime."

"Please DO!"

Izuku couldn't help but chuckle at Kyoka's plea. As he continued on his jog, his mind wandered back to the girls, wondering who their friend was.

Izuku then tripped.

_'Oh great.'_

Izuku closed his eyes as he took a nose dive, expecting to hit the hard ground… only to not. Opening his eyes, Izuku gasped when he realized he was floating in the air, a brown-haired girl next to him.

"Are you ok?" The girl asked in a sweet voice as Izuku started struggling in midair. Izuku steadied himself as the girl set him back on the ground.

She was more or less the same height as him with her hair styled in a bob cut with 2 bangs going along the side of her face on each side. She had brown eyes and a perma-blush on her face. But her most distinguishing feature was the animal paw-like pads on her fingers. She was wearing a pink t-shirt and black shorts and white loafers.

"T-t-t-thanks f-for that." Izuku stuttered.

"It's no problem!" She said nicely. "I'm sorry for using my Quirk on you without asking but it was kinda my fault you fell like that."

"Huh?" Looking back, Izuku saw that what he tripped on was a light pink 1000 gram dumbbell. "You doing training here?"

"Yeah! Trying to prep for the U.A. entrance exam."

Izuku blinked a few times. "You're the third girl today I've met who's training for U.A."

"Really?"

"Yeah. There's these two girls trying to clean up Dagoba Beach for their training."

The girl blinked a few times. "That… sounds impossible."

"I said the same thing."

The two had a quick chuckle. "Oh, I'm Uraraka, by the way. Uraraka Ochako."

"I'm M-Midoriya Izuku," the two chatted for a bit, Ochako explaining that she's practicing lifting heavy objects for as long as she can so she won't get sick, demonstrating with her putting away her equipment by floating them into her bag. Izuku immediately noted that her Quirk can easily be used in rescue operations with how it can lift both injured people but also debris, both surprising and impressing the brunet.

Eventually, Ochako needed to leave. "See you later," she said before heading off. _'He sure was cute!' _she thought to herself as she left.

Izuku was about to continue his jog when he realized something. _'I JUST TALKED TO THREE DIFFERENT GIRLS LIKE IT WAS NOTHING!'_

* * *

A little while later, Izuku was hanging onto a low branch, doing pull-ups. "…96 …97 …98 …99 …1-"

"Hawaau!"

"Huh?" Izuku looked toward the source, and saw a girl on the ground, having apparently tripped. It was a girl of medium height, but instead of hair, she had green, thorn-covered vines. The vines were of manageable length, just above her waist, though she had a light blue scarf with a floral border covering her head. Her attire consisted of a long-sleeved, ankle-length green dress along with a turquoise shawl, and light green boots.

In front of her was an opened suitcase, bits of clothes spewed about, along with a silver cross necklace. "Owww…" she groaned. "Why did I trip like that?"

Izuku, without hesitation, ran over to her, offering his hand. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yes, thank you," she said as she took Izuku's hand. Now that she was standing up, Izuku saw that she was a little taller than him. She gave a slight bow before turning to her scattered belongings, sighing.

"I can help pick this up," Izuku offered.

"Oh! Thank you."

It didn't take long for them to pick up the discarded clothing. But the silver cross gave Izuku some trouble. Looking at it alone gave him chills. When he tried to touch it, his hand felt like it was on fire. Even when he picked it up by the chain his hand felt like it was over a hot stove. Izuku did his best to ignore the pain, giving the cross back to the girl.

"Thank you very much, sir," she said, taking the cross from Izuku.

"It wasn't any problem," Izuku replied. _'My hand's numb.'_ "Are you traveling?"

"Not exactly," she put the necklace away in her bag. "I'm trying to find the church in this city… and got lost."

_'Church? Does she mean the old church near the Korusanto ward? Isn't it abandoned?' _"I think I know where the church is. Would you like me to take you?"

The girl's eyes widen in surprise before she smiled. "Really?! Oh, thank you! This must be an act of God's divine grace!" She said, making a sign of the cross with her hand.

A sharp pain rocketed through Izuku's head, causing him to gag.

"Ah! What's wrong?!"

"N-Nothing!" Izuku said, the pain gone now. "Just a little migraine! There's nothing wrong with me! Let's go!" With that Izuku led the way, with the confused girl not far behind. But before they could get far, the sound of a young boy crying caught their attention. Without hesitating, the girl ran over to him. "H-Hey!"

"Are you okay?" she asked. The boy only kept crying. A large cut on his knee was the case of the boy's distress. "It's okay." She placed her hands over the boy's knee. Two small, silver rings with a light green gem appeared on her middle fingers. A light green glow then appeared over the boy's knee. Izuku's arm suddenly began to ache.

Izuku's and the boy's eyes widened as the cut disappeared along with the glow.

"There, all better," said the girl. She was right. The boys knee was completely healed.

"Oh, wow. Thanks, onee-chan!"

As the boy ran off, waving goodbye and thanking her while doing so, Izuku asked, "Was that… a Quirk?"

"Oh, no," she replied. "It's a miraculous power to heal granted to me by God."

Izuku realized that only one other thing that light could've been: a Sacred Gear. _'She has a Sacred Gear, too? Is that why my hand ached like that?'_ He looked at his left hand, which held his Sacred Gear. _'She's able to both freely summon it and use its power. Right now I can only summon mine for about ten minutes, and even then I still don't know what it can do.'_

Clenching his fist, Izuku and the girl continued on their way to the church.

* * *

After about twenty minutes of walking, the two reached the edge of the Korusanto ward, the church in plain view atop a hill. "Ah! This is it! I'm so glad!" the girl exclaimed.

Izuku, however, had a harsh chill running throughout his body. _'My body won't stop shaking… It must be because of how close I am to the church.'_ "Well, I should be going now…"

"No, wait!" she gripped hold of Izuku's arm. "Let me repay you for your help. Do you want to stay for tea?"

"Uh, I can't," Izuku did his best to stop his body from shaking. "I need to get home soon, or my mom will get worried." He wasn't exactly lying. "We never properly introduced each other, did we? My name's Midoriya Izuku."

"I'm Shiozaki Ibara," she bowed. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Midoriya-san. I hope to see you again soon."

* * *

**AN:**

**EDIT: Decided to remove Toshinaoi from the chapter.**


	4. Priest, Exorcist, and Fruitcake! Oh my!

Once he got back to the club room, Rias had inquired why he was late. Once Izuku explained what happened, she wasn't exactly pleased.

"You cannot go near a church ever again!" Izuku hung his head low, muttering 'sorry' as Rias lectured him. "To devils like us, the church is enemy territory. Simply stepping into one would cause major problems for both angels and devils. It wouldn't be surprising if you were stabbed by a spear of light if you got too close." Izuku notably flinched at that. "And never get near anyone who has any sort of relationship with the church. Especially priests and exorcists."

"I'm sorry…" Izuku muttered for the tenth time.

"You should be. Priests and exorcists are our mortal enemies, and it's likely at least one was near that church. They've been blessed by God, so they have the power to destroy us. A devil hit by a divine holy power like that will be completely destroyed… with no hope of returning. This is something very important! Do you understand?"

"…I'm sorry, Rias-san."

Rias simply sighed. "I'm just glad you're safe. Just promise you'll be more careful from now on."

"Yes, I promise Rias-san."

* * *

The next day after school, Izuku spent most of the day training with Rias, though for some reason Rias seemed slightly… off. Izuku wanted to ask why, but lugging around two tires with her sitting on them made that difficult. After training had finished, Rias asked him to hand out flyers for the day and report back to the club room, not giving Izuku a chance to ask.

As he placed the last few flyers in the mailboxes of an apartment complex, Izuku went over what happened to him over the past week in his head. _'I'm still having a hard time believing it. Just last week, I was a normal Quirkless kid who dreamed of being a hero. Then I meet someone who said they could help me achieve my dream, only for them to reveal they're a fallen angel and kill me.'_

_'__Then I was revived as a devil by Rias-san, which also makes me her servant. And the reason I was killed is because I have a Sacred Gear that I had no idea about. But now that I have a chance, I'm working hard for the devils to become a hero despite having absolutely no power at all. It's almost like nothing's changed.'_ Once he finished passing out the flyers, Izuku got on his bike and rode towards U.A. High. _'Weirdly, I'm starting to enjoy all this. Rias-san is beautiful, Koneko-chan is kinda cute if a little cold, and Kiba-san is really nice. It's nice to have friends again.'_

"Speaking of Rias-san, why was she acting so off today?"

It didn't take very long for Izuku to reach the club building at U.A.'s campus. "I'm back!" Izuku called as he entered the clubroom.

"Ah, welcome back, Midoriya-kun." Yuuto greeted, just moments away from stepping into the teleportation pentagram.

"You finished passing out the flyers?" Rias asked, looking over a small stack of papers at her desk.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good work," she handed Izuku a map. "Sorry for dropping this on you, but can you do this summon tonight? Normally Koneko-chan handles this but she's currently swamped at the moment."

"Sure."

* * *

The sun had fully set over the horizon as Izuku rode his bike through the streets. The streets were very empty, as was the case in most suburban areas during the night.

Following the map Rias had given him, Izuku arrived at a relatively simple home. Hopping off his bike, Izuku walked up to the door and rang the bell. "Hello, I'm a devil of the Gremory Clan!" Izuku called to the house. "I'm here because of a summon!" There was no answer. He furrowed his eyebrows as he reached for the door.

His heart suddenly clenched.

"Somethings not right…" he whispered, almost fearfully. It was the same feeling he had when he showed Ibara to the church.

Izuku slowly opened the door, the creaking sound echoing in the dark. He didn't even bother to remove his sneakers as he slowly crept inside looking around the room. The house was dark, very dark, the only source of light coming from the living room. But he had a better time looking through it a lot better than when he was human. He was somewhat thankful for that. That didn't keep him from stepping into something wet and sticky.

"What the…?" Izuku gasped. He raised his foot and wiped his fingers on the soles. Already, he could smell the scent from the liquid. His eyes widened as he realized what it was.

It was blood. Fresh blood. And it was all over the room, leading to a male body nailed to the wall… At least, Izuku _presumed_ it was a man.

It's actually hard to tell things like gender when _their skin was peeled off!_

Their organs and blood seeped out of the large dissection hole in their torso and their arms and legs were pinned to the wall by large nails, legs together and arms as far apart as possible. A crucifixion.

Izuku nearly vomited at the sight. Written above their heads in red was a message: **'DIVINE PUNISHMENT FOR SHITTY SINNERS WHO HAVE GIVEN UP ON HUMANITY!'**

"Holy shit!" Izuku muttered shock.

That was when someone else in the room said, "Punish the wicked. Words to live by. Yes, wise words to heed from a holy man!" Turning around, Izuku saw someone sitting on the couch. He had short white hair, red eyes, and dressed in the coat and outfit of a priest. However, Izuku could tell there was nothing about this man that was holy at all due to the wicked smile on his face and the bloody knife he was holding in his left hand. "Freed Sellzen, monster hunter, executioner, and exorcist, at your service," he introduced himself as he stood up and bowed, before dancing like a nutcase. "And you are the scared little devil pussy this priest is going to exorcise next!"

"A priest?!" Izuku gasped.

"Yep. I'm from a certain exorcism organization you may have heard of."

"Then you… did all this? What did he do to have this happen to him?!"

"He was asking for it," justified Freed, "Making a contract with a devil like you is proof that he's done being human. End of the line, sinner!" he laughed. "So I had to give him an extreme makeover! Which I'm gonna do to you!"

Freed suddenly jumped into Izuku's face with a lear. He didn't realize that the mad priest was so up close until just another second later, and quickly jumped back. "W-what?"

"Hm, from the looks of things you're fresh meat," Freed licked his lips, creeping Izuku out. "Well, there's no need to tell me your name! You're just going to die soon anyway!"

"You killed him just because he was talking to devils?!" Izuku demanded.

"Well, duh. Do I haveta spell it out for you? Making contracts with devils is a sin after all. Devils use the dark desires of humanity to gain power. Humans who make pacts with devils are scum, lower than dirt. You get it? No? Well, I guess that makes you scum too," Freed lectured, still grinning.

"If you're a servant of God, why would you kill another human so easily!" Izuku shouted, angry.

"Hoooo?" Freed wondered out loud like a child, "The fuck is this? Is this puny devil trying to lecture me? I already told you why. What? Do you need a crash course for this shit?" He walked over to the head of the victim and kicked it. "Fine, I'll say it again. Devils feed on human desire. The humans who give you substance can't be considered human anymore. To that end, I kill them in order to save them from becoming tainted even further." He kicked the headed into the wall, causing it to splatter and cause more gore. "That's kindness. Amen~."

"Kindness? That's not kindness, that's pure evil!" Izuku growled, clenching his fist, summoning his Sacred Gear subconsciously.

"Huh?" Freed wondered, looking at Izuku. "Ha…HAHAHAHA! Oh, that's rich! A devil telling me, a priest, what's evil? HAHA! Are you mad? You mad, bro? You mad?" He licked the blood from his knife. "Ah whatever," Freed sighed, pulling out a silver pistol, "It won't matter once I turn you into swiss cheese! Totally awesome, isn't it!" Freed laughed maniacally as he fired his gun. Izuku raced to the side to avoid the light bullets before he stopped at the wall.

Freed then threw his knife, the blade embedding itself into Izuku's leg. Izuku screamed at the pain, which caused Freed to laugh even more. The nutty priest then aimed his gun.

_*BANG! BANG! BANG!*_

The bullets fired from the gun hit Izuku in his stomach. Izuku gasped in pain as the shock from the blast echoed through his body.

"AHAHAHA! You like that?" Freed laughed, walking over to Izuku and kicking him down. Freed then sloppily removed the knife from Izuku's leg. Then in an increasingly dickish maneuver, Freed smashed his foot onto the gunshot wounds. Izuku yelled painfully from the impact, feeling the pain rip through his body. Freed only laughed even more as he grinned his heel. "Tell me, do you bleed? YOU WILL!" Freed grinned, pointing the gun at Izuku.

A blur of motion suddenly pushed Freed off of Izuku.

"Gah, damnit!" Freed groaned, rubbing his head as he stood up. "Shit, Ibara! Why'd you go and do that?"

Izuku recognized the name. "Ibara?" he groaned, setting up and holding his injuries. Looking over, he saw a familiar head of thorns standing in front of him with her arms out like a shield. "Shiozaki-san?"

"Please, stop this!" Ibara pleaded, "Why are you doing this to Midoriya-san?"

"Eh? You know this guy?" Freed blinked, picking his ear. "Isn't it obvious? He's a devil after all."

"Huh…?" Ibara muttered, slowly looking back at Izuku, "Midoriya-san is… a devil?"

Izuku, still clutching his wound, simply lower his head in shame, "I didn't mean to deceive you…"

Freed only laughed crazily, "HAHAHA! Oh man, how fucking hysterical! Is this forbidden love between a devil and a sister? Seriously? Are you serious?" His face turned deadly serious in an instant, "That's right. This guy is the shittiest of shitty devils. Really, you didn't know? Well, that's fine. He's about to end up like that shit stain there."

Ibara looked at where Freed was pointing. Her eyes widened as tears welled up, looking on at the skinned body nailed to the wall. "What…? This isn't…" she stammered in horrified shock, collapsing to the floor, her hands covering her mouth.

"Oh, that's right. This is the first time you've seen a corpse, huh?" Freed grinned. "In that case, take a good look! This is the fate of any human seduced by a devil!"

"You son of a…" Izuku snarled, trying to force himself to his feet.

"That's the way it is! Devils and humans can never coexist! And the church- hoho! Don't even get me started! Not to mention we're all heretics that God himself abandoned, like the fallen angels! And this fucker here is part of the job description!" Freed snapped his fingers impatiently. "Come on, hurry up with the trap!"

Ibara only stood up and stood between Freed and Izuku.

"Hey. Hey, hey, hey, hey. What the fuck?" Freed asked, looking unamused.

"Father, please let him go," Ibara begged. "To aimlessly kill people who have been led astray by devils… that's just wrong!"

"What the fuck?! You too, you shitty maiden?!" Freed demanded, grabbing her by the collar of her dress, "Did you already forget? All devils are full of shit! He's not buddy-buddy with you!"

"There may be good devils as well!" Ibara cried, "I used to think all devils were evil, but after meeting Midoriya-san, I've learned that there are good devils too!"

"Shut up!"

The next thing that happened caused Izuku's blood to boil.

The asshole backhanded Ibara on the face!

"BASTARD!" Izuku shouted, his vision turning red. He didn't get far as his wounds forced him back down, "Ah! Damn it!" Unbeknown to Izuku, the green jewel on his Sacred Gear began to glow green.

Freed pinned Ibara down by the throat as he reached down and tore open her dress, leaving only her bra left. "Even if the boss told me not to kill you, there could still be something you can do to calm me down," Freed smirked, squeezing Ibara's breasts. The poor girl flinched and gasped from the squeezing, "What do you think? You're still a virgin, so how about I turn you from a maiden to a broken woman?"

"Dragon Shot!"

"Eh?" Freed looked back just in time to see Izuku building a green ball of energy from his hand. The shot fired and hit Freed in the chest, knocking him through the wall and away from Ibara.

Izuku panted heavily as the gem in his Sacred Gear stopped glowing, "I'm finally started to figure this thing out," he said, tiredly.

Ibara quickly got up and ran over to Izuku. "You're hurt…" she said softly, looking at his wounds.

"Pain's… an old friend," Izuku joked, wincing in pain, "Ow…"

Ibara slowly crawled up to him, "Hold still." She held her hands carefully over his wounds, not even touching it. Her hands suddenly glowed as a bright green aura surrounded them and washed over the wound. Relief came over his face as he could feel his injuries and the blood fade away.

"Holly whoa… I'm feeling better now," Izuku blinked, slapping where he was hit just to be sure. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Ibara nodded slowly, smiling shyly. "It's the least I can do for helping me yesterday."

Izuku then noticed the large bruise on Ibara's cheek, where Freed had struck her. "You're hurt."

"It's fine," she said. "And you were worst."

The two had a quick laugh.

The moment was suddenly ruined by a noise coming from the wall. Izuku and Ibara turned, watching Freed crawl out of the hole made from Izuku's Dragon Shot. "Oh, right. I still gotta kill you," he huffed.

Ibara stood up and got in front of Izuku. "I won't let you hurt him," she said.

"Oh yeah? And what are you gonna do about i-" Ibara clasped her hands together over her chest. Without warning, her vines shot out and rushed toward Freed, ensnaring him. "The fuck?!"

"Father Freed Sellzen. Your sins are unforgivable. God will make you pay for the evils you've done," she said.

**Ibara Shiozaki, Quirk: Vines. She can control and stretch out her hair vines, as well as detaching them at will.**

Izuku had a look of shock and amazement on his face. He'd figured Ibara's Quirk had something to do with her vine hair, but he didn't know she could make them grow or control them so easily.

Freed only laughed. "Don't count your chickens before they hatch, kid!" A shimmering sword of light suddenly emerged from the vines. Freed then cut himself free. Ibara and Izuku's eyes widened in shock as Freed aimed the blade at them. "Surprise~! Bet you didn't know I had a real-life lightsaber, huh?"

Ibara was about to trap Freed with her vines again but stopped when Izuku stood up and got in front of her. "Midoriya-san…!?"

"Oh! You wanna go first, do ya? Fine by me!" Freed hunched to the ground, his tongue hanging out of his sadistic smile. "I was planning to use you to beat the world record for hole-iest corpse~! But it looks like I'll be going for the record for finest mincemeat instead~!"

"Mind if we crash the party then?"

Izuku's eyes widened at the voice. Looking around, he turned and found Koneko, Yuuto, and Rias just stepping out of a magic circle. Koneko looked at the bloody sight with distance, while Yuuto seemed to cast a hateful glare at Freed. Rias, however, looked worried, especially after seeing Ibara right behind him.

"Izu-kun?" Rias asked, walking up to him, "What happened?"

"I came here for the summon, but I found the customer dead. All thanks to that fruitcake over there," Izuku explained, pointing at Freed.

"I see…" Rias nodded, her expression saddened. She rested her head against his, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Thank goodness you're okay."

"Senpai…?" Izuku blushed.

"Oh, oh! It's a family of devils, huh?" Freed laughed, hunching down with his tongue hanging. "Cool! This is super cooool! I'm gonna totally score with this! And aren't you a pretty one! Can I fuck you up, too?"

Yuuto sweat-dropped. "For a priest, that's quite a mouth you have. Doesn't matter, though…" he said in an uncharacteristically cold tone.

"Sorry for being so vulgar. How about I make it up to you by chopping that pretty boy head off!" Freed blazed across the room with his sword swinging. Eyes narrowed, Yuuto bent his legs before he suddenly blurred out of sight.

"He disappeared!?" Ibara gasped.

Yuuto reappeared before Freed, this time armed with a sword cloaked in darkness. The two blades clashed against each other as both young men tried to overpower the other. "Attacking just like that out of the blue," Yuuto mocked, "You have no class."

"Hah? I'm supposed to give shits about that? Especially from some shitty devils?" Freed laughed. Freed quickly caught on to his blade flicker, losing power, so he took the smart route as jumped back from Yuuto's oncoming slash. "The double fuck?!"

"Sorry, but this sword is special," Yuuto told him, gripping the hilt with two hands. "It can devour the light."

**Kiba Yuuto, Sacred Gear: Sword Birth. He can create any demonic sword he can imagine and imbue them with special properties.**

"Heh, a Sacred Gear user. Should've guessed," Freed sighed.

"Kiba-san has a Sacred Gear, too?" Izuku gasped. A swift pain suddenly hit him in his leg.

"Try not to move too much, Midoriya-san," said Ibara. "You're leg's still hurt."

"Hurt?" Rias repeated.

"Yeah. Freed stabbed me with his knife and then shot me, but Shiozaki-san healed me."

Slowly, Rias turned toward the vulgar priest. "Is that right?"

"Yep!" Freed giggled. "Truth is, I was planning to carve up every inch of his body after I filled him with holes, but then that shitty maiden decided to get in the way~!"

**BOOM!**

"Huh?" Freed looked to the side, finding a gigantic hole in the wall just centimeters from his head, a trail of destructing leading all the way to the street. The source of the blast was Rias' hand, her whole body glowed a dark red.

"I will not forgive anyone who harms my servants, especially not some vulgar stray priest such as you," Rias growled, her voice both calm yet dripping with rage at the same time.

Both Izuku and Ibara trembled at the display. _'Rias-san is scary!'_

Freed, however, seemed unfazed. "Whoo-eee! That was really somethin'! Good thing I know when to fold em!" Freed said, pulling something out of his robes. "I'm getting the fuck out of Dodge before they arrive to reinforce the ambush."

"'They'?" Rias questioned.

"Oh yeah. There are totally two other fallen angels at least and lots of priests coming this way," Freed said. "Have fuuuuuuuuuuuun~"

Freed smashed something against the ground, blinding the youths with an intense light that erupted in front of him.

"Agh!" Izuku rubbed his eyes, trying to get rid of the spots coloring his vision before it returned to normal. Freed was gone. "A flash bang?"

"…Buchou… the fallen angels are coming," Koneko suddenly spoke, sensing a foreboding presence.

"Tch!" Rias frowned, turning around to prepare another portal. "We need to leave."

"Rias-san, wait!" Izuku alerted, gesturing toward Ibara, "We should take her with us!"

"I'm sorry, Izu-kun," Rias apologized, looking over her shoulder, "My portals can only transport whoever I have in my Peerage. She won't survive the magic."

"But… isn't there another way?"

"I'm sorry, but there isn't."

"Not if I take her on my bike!"

"But she's aligned with the church," Yuuto said, "By default, she's our enemy."

"It didn't stop her from healing me. I'm not going to abandon her for petty reasons like that," Izuku frowned. Izuku then took Ibara's hand and ran toward the front entrance. "I'll meet you guys at the club room!"

"I hope you know what you're doing," Rias prayed as she, Koneko, and Yuuto vanished in the portal.


	5. Shiozaki Ibara, the Holy Maiden

News of the murder had already spread. The police arrived at the house not long after Izuku and Ibara left. There was no one else remaining at the house save for the corpse. It was chopped up so badly that it would be very difficult to identify. Then there was the message written in blood. Another religious fanatic it appeared to them. It also seemed that the murderer managed to flee before anything else happened. He was still out there.

Izuku had already contacted his mom, telling her that he may be late coming home. He promised her that he was safe and unharmed and that he had just met up with Rias and that he would be staying with her until the heat died down. He was in the clubroom sitting on one of the couches, busy cleaning out the blood from the soles of his sneakers with bleach. Ibara was in the shower room, washing the sweat and blood from her body as best as she could. Izuku didn't really blame her for what she had gone through.

"It was very foolish of you to bring her here," Rias said, handing Izuku a bucket of water.

"Why? Just because she's with the church?" Izuku asked, taking the bucket and using it to wash the bleach from his sneakers. "You said that those who are on the side of God are dangerous to us. Is that why you're being resistant?"

"It's more complicated than that," Rias sighed. "That girl… is a heretic. That means she's in league with the fallen angels."

"She's a heretic?" Izuku repeated, confused.

"There are several reasons for why those who were once faithful turn rogue. As they have nowhere else to turn, they usually form an alliance with the fallen angels for protection," Rias explained, sitting next to him, "There is probably some reason for why that girl is with the fallen angels."

"Oh…" Izuku sighed, looking down.

"Look, I sympathize with you. I really do," Rias said sternly, "But we can't get involved with the affairs of fallen angels. If we do it will cause an unwanted incident. The best I can do is give her a place to rest for the night. After that, she's on her own."

"…I understand," Izuku and Rias turned and say Ibara stepping out of the shower room, a towel wrapped around her vines and wearing the spare clothes Rias had provided her. Next to her was a tray table, her torn clothing folded neatly on it. "Thank you for allowing me to use the shower," Ibara bowed, "It was really gracious of you."

"Shiozaki-san, I need to know," Izuku began, "Why were you with that psycho?"

"Father Selzen?" Ibara questioned.

"Yeah, that's what I want to know. You don't seem like the type to hang around bloodthirsty psychopaths," Izuku replied.

"…I didn't have any other choice," Ibara admitted, looking sad. "Three weeks ago I was excommunicated from my original church after I healed a devil out of free will. I don't have anywhere else to turn to."

"You healed a devil without question?" Rias blinked, looking rather surprised, "Why?"

"He was injured very badly, and I couldn't just turn away someone in need," Ibara answered. "As I was healing him, I was caught by the local priest. After that, I was deemed a witch and casted out."

"But there's more to it, isn't there?" Izuku asked. "You healing abilities are a Sacred Gear, right?"

"Why yes," Ibara nodded, sitting down on the sofa across from Izuku, "It's called Twilight Healing. See, I used to live in a small village near Yokohama. My parents ran a flower shop, and we'd go to church all the time. I even had dreams of being a hero one day. But when I was eight, I found an injured puppy near the church. I prayed as hard as I could for it to get better. That was when I discovered my healing abilities when the puppy recovered instantly. Soon after, the church regarded me as a Saint and I was given the title as Holy Maiden. Ever since I used my powers to heal the sick and the elderly. Many people lived longer lives thanks to my healing and I'm grateful to the Lord for giving me this power."

Her face suddenly took on a somber look. "But because of my status and Sacred Gear, I was guarded heavily and treated well, and was seen as a higher being. No children would play with me, my parents were hardly allowed to see me, and I became lonely. After healing that devil, my Holy Maiden title was revoked and I was called a witch by those who once worshiped me. My parents… did everything they could so I could leave that place…"

"So you came to Musutafu to start over," Izuku said, frowning sadly. He couldn't help but feel very sorry for the girl.

"I see," Rias nodded slowly, "I'm really sorry to hear that."

The door opened and Yuuto and Koneko stepped in, "I managed to finish the search as soon as the police arrived. It seems that the fallen angels have retreated for now," Yuuto announced.

"I see," Rias nodded. "I guess that eases our troubles for the moment."

Nothing more was said that night.

* * *

The next day was a Sunday and so there was no school. Izuku took the time to show Ibara around the city as he contemplated what to do next. Ibara looked around the city with awe and wonder, almost like a child. It was then that Izuku realized that Ibara likely never stepped out of her hometown in a long time.

"This is so great!" Ibara smiled. She looked around the street and noticed a colorful building. "Hey, what's that?"

"Just an arcade that recently opened," Izuku answered. "Wanna have a look?"

"Yeah!"

Izuku took Ibara to the arcade, entering through the sliding doors. Passing by the vending machines and going through a small hall, the two were greeted with the sight of a multitude of kids their age playing just as many games all over the place, including 1v1 fighting consoles, dance-off platforms, and shooting stations. There was even an area for air hockey and foosball and the like for those who prefer a more interactive experience. All in all, it appeared to be a fairly high-standard arcade.

"Oh, wow!" The two played several games, including a dance game where Izuku lost. They soon came upon an aisle that housed a multitude of crane games. "Look at all the plushies they have!" Ibara exclaimed herself, gesturing wildly at the multitude of plush-filled machines.

"Do you want one?" Izuku asked.

"Uh, yes," she said before a curious expression made its way on her face. "But I heard that it's impossible to win at these games."

"I believe you can win these sorts of games. All it takes is practice, a bit of skill, and luck. Which one do you want?" Izuku asked.

"I'm not sure. All of these animals are really cute, especially the green sheep with freckles and those adorable red booties on its feet. It kinda reminds me of you for some reason," Ibara confessed while pointing at said plush, which Izuku had to admit that it bore a striking resemblance of him.

Izuku looked at the way the sheep was placed. _'Hmm… I think I can manage this… it's sticking up a little, so it shouldn't be an issue to get it.'_ With a confident smile, the young man put a coin in the crane game and proceeded to grab the stuffed animal in question. As he predicted, it wasn't really difficult thanks to it sticking out, and after successfully managing to obtain the prize in question, he proceeded to give it to Ibara, who let out an excited gasp as soon as it was in her arms.

"Oh my God! Midoriya-san, thank you! You didn't have to do this!" The vine haired girl exclaimed, hugging the precious sheep tightly.

"I know, but I wanted to," said Izuku, doing his best to ignore the slight headache he got.

* * *

Later, the two made their way to the park where they first meet. The two were having a conversation, mainly Ibara asking exactly why Izuku became a devil. Izuku answered that he was killed by a fallen angel named Raynare. The mention of Raynare made Ibara flinched, but Izuku didn't notice. For when they were about to leave…

"Come on Kyoka, this is for your own good!"

"Get off me, Momo!"

Looking to the left, they looked with curiosity as they saw a girl with strange earlobes doing push-ups…with another girl sitting on her. Izuku recognized them right away. "Yaoyorozu-san? Jiro-san?"

"Hm? Oh, hello Midoriya-san!" Momo greeted with a smile and wave.

"What are you doing?" Izuku asked.

"Just helping Kyoka get a little extra training in for the day. We finished our training at the beach earlier, but Kyoka wanted to train a little more."

"I was doing fine until you sat on me!"

Momo only giggled at her friends protest. She then noticed Ibara standing behind Izuku. "Who's this?"

"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Shiozaki Ibara," she said with a polite bow.

Momo smiled. "I'm Yaoyorozu Momo, and this is Jiro Kyoka," she said as she stood up.

"Oh, thank God," Kyoka said as a literal weight was lifted off her. She then noticed Ibara next to Izuku and blinked. "Oh? What's this?" Kyoka gave a small smirk that resembled a cat's smile, her eyes ogling Ibara as she stood up, "So you've already got a girlfriend?"

"I-i-it's n-not like t-that!" Izuku quickly denied, blushing brightly. "I'm j-j-just s-showing her a-around t-town."

"Sure, sure. We'll go with that," Kyoka laughed.

"Hey, I thought I recognized that curly hair!" a familiar female voice cut in. Izuku, Momo, Kyoka, and Ibara looked behind them to see Uraraka Ochako running up to them.

"Oh, Uraraka-san!" said Izuku.

"You know her?" Ibara asked.

Ochako then noticed the three girls with Izuku. "Who are they?"

"I'm Yaoyorozu Momo, a pleaser to meet you."

"Jiro Kyoka," she then gestured to Ibara. "That is Midoriya's girlfriend."

"G-girlfriend…?" Ochako stared blankly at Izuku and Ibara, both of whom were blushing.

"I-it's n-n-not li-like that!" Izuku stuttered. "We're just friends! I'm just showing her around town is all!"

"Girlfriend…?"

"You already said that…" Izuku muttered.

"I'm Shiozaki Ibara," the vine-haired girl introduced. "I recently arrived in this city, and Midoriya-san was kind enough to show me around."

"…Oh…" _'Why did I feel so jealous?'_ Ochako asked herself. "It's nice to meet you. All of you. I'm Uraraka Ochako."

A little while later, and the girls were happily chatting among themselves, Izuku watching from a bench with a smile. _'They sure are getting along well,'_ he thought to himself in relief. Ochako acting like a broken record for a minute really startled him. _'I wonder why she acted like that?'_

Looking around, Izuku noticed someone standing on the edge of the building some feet behind them, their long sand-colored trench coat fluttering in the wind. It was hard to tell due to the distance, but it looked like the man had wavy short dark brown hair. He is quite tall and had a slim physique. Under the trench coat is a black vest over a striped dress shirt that is light blue in hue. He also had beige pants, dark brown shoes, and what looked like bandages wrapped around his arms.

"Huh? Who's that?"

"Hm?" The girls turned their eyes to where Izuku was looking.

"What's that guy doing?" Kyoka asked.

All of their eyes widened in horror as a realization came to them.

"Oh no!"

"Don't tell me…!"

The man, with a calm and content face, leaped off the building.

"He JUMPED!" Ibara cried in shock.

Without thinking, Momo and Izuku ran to where the man was going to land. Taking off most of her clothes, Momo produced a large foam bed from her body. "Midoriya-san!"

"Right!" Izuku grabbed hold of one end of the bed while Momo took hole the other. "Shiozaki-san!"

Without hesitating, Ibara used her vines to raise the two up. The man landed onto the bed as they planned, but he soon bounced off it and fell to the ground.

"Oh no!" Ibara exclaimed, running to where the man landed, Kyoka and Ochako close behind. Izuku and Momo, once she put her shirt back on, leaped down to the man.

"Is he okay!?" Kyoka asked.

"He looks fine," said Izuku. He was about to check for a pulse when the man's eyes shot open. "Wha!"

Slowly, the man sat up.

"Uh, sir, are you okay?" Ochako asked.

"I made it…" he muttered. "Damnit!"

"Huh?!" the five teens all exclaimed.

"Tell me, are you the ones who interrupted my free fall?" he asked as he got up.

"'Interrupted'?!" Kyoka asked. "Then, were you really…?"

"You don't get it? I was trying to kill myself."

"Suicide?!"

"Of course!" he said in a manner far too cheerful for someone who just attempted suicide. "And everything was going so great, but then you five showed up and ruined everything."

Izuku could only stare at the man in confusion. _'Is he scolding us for saving him?'_

"But it's not entirely your fault," the man continued. "My goal is to commit a perfectly clean suicide without being a burden to anyone. And I did trouble you, as such the fault lies with me. Is there any way for me to make it up to you?"

_*Growl!*_

Momo and Kyoka blushed, now realizing how hungry they were. "Sorry…" The other teens could only chuckle.

"Are you hungry?" the man asked, a blank look on his face.

Momo smiled sheepishly. "Well, after training all day, along with using my Quirk like that, I could use a meal."

"I think we all could use one," said Kyoka.

_*GROWL!*_

As if to prove her point, the second, much louder stomach growl came from the man. "How odd… I'm also hungry," he said with the same blank look. "But I'm afraid I lost my wallet during the fall."

"Huh? How does that work?" Uraraka asked.

"THERE YOU ARE YOU SUICIDAL MANIAC!"

Everyone turned to the top of the building, seeing a tall and slim young man with dirty blonde hair that ended in a long ponytail and wearing glasses. His attire consists of a beige vest over a black long-sleeved dress shirt, a red ribbon tied into a bow around the collar, beige pants, and plain brown shoes. In his hand was a green notebook.

"Oh hey!" The guy the teens saved spoke up. "You found me! Nice work, Kunikida-kun!"

The other man, now identified as Kunikida, yelled back. "'Nice work'?! Who caused all this work, you suicidal maniac?! I HAD IT WITH YOU CONSTANTLY DISRUPTING MY SCHEDULES WITH YOUR SHENANIGANS!"

"Hey, I have an idea," the man said in his cheery voice, ignoring Kunikida's rant. "Kunikida-kun's a colleague of mine from work, so how about we have him treat you to a meal?"

"**HEY, ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?!**"

"So, what are your names?"

The five teens all introduced themselves, which seems to be happening a lot lately.

"Very good. What do you want to eat?" The man asked them.

"Uh, well, I know this noodle cart nearby," said Ochako. "It's both cheap and really good."

"Alright, then let's have Kunikida-kun treat you to thirty large bowls!"

"DON'T BE SO GENEROUS WITH _MY_ MONEY, DAZAI!"

"Dazai?" Ibara parroted.

"Yep, that's my name," the man, now ID'ed as Dazai, said. "It's a pleasure to meet you, my new friends. I'm Dazai Osamu."

* * *

"You are such an idiot, Dazai!" Kunikida hissed, a vein on his head. He was looking through his notebook, which the teens now saw had the word 'Ideal' on it. They were all sitting at a picnic table, enjoying several bowls of ramen. "What kind of person goes 'Wow, what a beautiful park!' and jumps off the tallest building he could find in the middle of a job?! Now we're late! I'll have to revise our whole schedule…"

Dazai, as he finished slurping up his ramen, said, "You're obsessed with your schedules and that notebook, Kunikida-kun."

"This is not some day-planner!" Kunikida yelled, slamming his notebook onto the table. "This is an ideal! A guide to my life! And nowhere in this notebook does it say 'my partner should be a suicidal maniac'!"

"You mean Dazai-san has tried to kill himself before?" Ibara asked.

"Be quiet! And nowhere in my projected expenses does it say 'treat some snot-nosed kids to a million bowls of ramen'!"

"Eh, sorry…" said Momo, who has finished her fifth bowl. "Thank you for the food."

"At least you're showing gratitude after eating on my dime."

"Uh… If you don't mind me asking, what's this job you're doing?" Izuku asked.

"We're detectives," Dazai answered.

"Detectives?"

"Yeah," Kunikida confirmed. "But we handle more than missing pets or cheating spouses. We're from the Armed Detective Agency."

Izuku's eyes immediately shot up. He had heard of the ADA from the hero forums online. While they weren't pro-heroes and based in Yokohama, the ADA was composed of highly capable fighters with scarily powerful Quirks and was famous for helping take down incredibly dangerous villains by locating their hideouts and learning their identities. He had heard that the director had a Quirk that allowed for anyone under his care to have control over their Quirk without harm. While not combative, it has huge advantages. Based on the looks of the other teens, they too had heard of the ADA and some of its accomplishments. Kyoka, however, looked somewhat skeptical. It soon became clear why.

"Incredible…" Dazai suddenly stood up, his eyes shining as he looked at the tree branches above them. "Those branches look sturdy enough to hold a person's weight!"

"Don't even think about hanging yourself in this park, Dazai," Kunikida said without batting an eye.

"I'm not. I'm thinking of tree yoga."

"Tree what now?"

"You haven't heard? It's a type of yoga done in trees. It's perfect for releasing stress and relieving muscle cramps."

"Whoa, that would be perfect for me!"

"It would! Quick, write it down." And Kunikida did so. But after about two seconds, with a sly smile, Dazai said, "I'm messing with you."

The pen Kunikida was using snapped. He slams his notebook into the table again before strangling Dazai, shaking him silly. "First my ungrateful partner leaps off a building! But does it end there? Nooo! Then I have to pay the bill for a bunch of kids who stuffed themselves! My schedule for today was _perfect_! But now I'll have to start over from square-one!"

The teens all sweat-dropped as Kunikida continued his rant while shaking Dazai, who seemed unfazed. "Are these weirdoes really from the Armed Detective Agency?" Kyoka asked.

Izuku then spoke up. "Uh, so about this job…"

"WHAT?!" Kunikida screamed.

"S-sorry! Sorry! Sorry! I shouldn't have asked! Of course, your jobs are classified!"

"Relax kid," Kunikida let Dazai go and sat back down. "Today's job doesn't involve any secrecy. We're investigating the religious murders that have been happening lately."

Both Ibara and Izuku's eyes widened upon hearing this.

"Oh yeah! I've heard about them," said Ochako. "Wasn't there a murder last night?"

"We already investigated that crime scene," Kunikida opened his notebook, turning to the page about the previous night's murder. "The body was pinned to the wall upside down and skinned. There was no sign of forced entry, but there were signs of a struggle after the victim was killed, with footprints left behind by multiple people, which suggests one or more people stumbled upon the murder before the police arrived. Other than that there isn't much evidence."

Kyoka looked to be on the verge of throwing up. "Thanks… for that image."

"Ibara-chan? Izuku-kun? Is something wrong? You two are awfully quiet…" said Dazai.

The two teens were brought back to reality by Dazai's question. "Uh, y-yeah! W-we're f-fine!" Izuku stuttered.

"We're just… a bit shocked that a priest would do such a thing is all," said Ibara.

"…We never mentioned a priest being involved," said Dazai, a small smirk on his face.

Ibara mentally slapped herself.

"Uh, we need to be going now!" said Izuku and he and Ibara got up. "Goodbye…"

"Not so fast." Before they could leave Kunikida grabbed Izuku by the collar of his shirt and Ibara by her vines, which caused the girl to whimpered as her face erupted into a blush. "You two know something, don't you?"

"I really like your sneakers, Izuku-kun!" said Dazai. "They're blood red! And the soles look an awful lot like some of the footprints at the crime scene!"

Izuku began to sweat buckets.

Ochako, Momo, and Kyoka could only watch in shock as their two friends were being questioned.

Finally, Izuku spoke. "Kinda…" he said. "We'll talk if you let us go."

Kunikida dropped his grip on the two. "Alright then, tell us what you two know."

Izuku explained everything they needed to know. About how he was supposed to deliver something for the murder victim, only to find him dead and his fight with Freed Sellzen. He also explained how Ibara wasn't aware of Freed's true nature until she saw the corpse herself. He left out anything involving Rias, devils, fallen angels and the like.

"A rogue priest with a fetish for dismembering people?" said Dazai. "You don't hear that every day."

"But back to you, Ibara. You said you used to work for him?"

"Yes," said Ibara. "I didn't really have any other choice. I was excommunicated from my church a few weeks ago and I had nowhere to go, so I came here. He and the others told me these were simple exorcisms. I had no idea they would kill people!"

"How long has this group been in the city?" Dazai asked.

"Uh, I'm not sure. I only just came to Musutafu a couple of days ago. But I think I overheard one of them mention they've been here for about a month."

"That lines up," Kunikida was looking in his notebook. "The first reported murder was on August 18th, little over a month ago."

Momo then asked, "Shiozaki-san, what do you plan to do now?"

"I'm not sure…" said Ibara. "I want to leave them, but I'm afraid they'll come after me."

"Then let's make a deal!" Ibara and the other teens looked to Dazai. "If you agree to work with us, we'll arrange witness protection for you. How does that sound?"

Before Ibara could answer, a black feather fell to the ground. Kunikida noticed the feather and picked it up to examine it. "That's strange," he remarked. "I thought crows weren't native to this area…" Suddenly, a large blast of light erupted behind Kunikida and exploded. He screamed out before he crashed into a tree and was knocked out cold.

"Kunikida-san!" Ibara gasped.

Quickly, more black feathers rained around them. It was becoming clear that they were not from birds. "My, how ominous…" said Dazai, a small smile on his face.

"What's going on?!" Ochako asked as she and the other girls huddled near Izuku.

"Oh… it's you. Not only are you still alive, but you're also a devil now. How awful… Still, you've done well looking after Ibara up till now," a new voice spoke up. Izuku felt a chill down his spine as he recognized the voice. From the way Ibara reacted, so did she. The group turned around as Raynare gracefully descended from the sky.

"Raynare… sama," Ibara whispered.

"Not her…!" Momo gasped.

"What a lovely young lady," said Dazai.

The fallen angel glared at Momo for a moment before her gaze turned to Ibara. "Ibara, I'm afraid your vacation is over," Raynare said, her smile sickeningly sweet, "It's time to come back. You know it's useless to run. Don't even try it."

"…Begone," Ibara frowned, "I want no part in the evil you and the other angels are up to. You're killing people, all because they made pacts with devils. I know for a fact that God would not allow that to happen! I can't trust you!"

"Don't give me trouble. You know as well as I do that your Sacred Gear is very important to us. Don't you know how long it took for me to find you? Please make this easy on yourself."

"She already said she doesn't want to be with you!" Izuku growled, standing in front of Ibara and the other girls protectively.

"Aww! Trying to be a hero now?" Raynare cooed, her face flushed. "I still remember our date that day! That sure was fun, huh? Especially the part where I killed you! But looks like I didn't do a good enough job…" with a malicious smile, Raynare conjured a spear of light in her hand. "Shall I kill you again?"

"Now now, no need to flirt," said Dazai. "Just tell us what you want."

"It has nothing to do with some lowlife human like you," Raynare hissed. "All I want is Ibara and her Twilight Healing."

"Not gonna happen!" Izuku summoned his Sacred Gear, to the shock of Ochako, Momo, Kyoka, and especially Raynare.

"Whoa! Midoriya, what is that?" Kyoka asked.

"I'll explain later."

Raynare, after recovering from her shock, began to laugh. "_That's_ your Sacred Gear? Haha! When I heard you had a powerful Sacred Gear, I killed you because I thought you posed a threat! Looks like they made a mistake. That's a garden-variety Sacred Gear called Twice Critical. It doubles its wielder's power for a set amount of time, but… Even with that thing, you're no real threat. Truly fitting for such a shitty low-class devil."

Izuku looked at the bracer on his hand. _'Is that what it does? Then what was that Dragon Shot- NO! This is NOT the time to overthink!'_

"You kids should run," said Dazai. "I'll handle her."

"Wait, are you sur-"

_*SHINK!*_

Izuku gaged, a yellow spear of light pricing through his torso.

"Midoriya!" the four girls all gasped.

"How weak. That didn't even constitute as stress relief." Looking up, the group saw a tall and buxom woman with long, navy blue hair and brown eyes. Her outfit consisted of a violet, trench coat-like top with a wide collar, a matching miniskirt, and black heeled shoes. The trench coat top was open at her breasts, giving all a good view of her cleavage. Around her neck was a golden necklace. Just like Raynare, she too was being supported by a pair of black wings, marking her as a fallen angel.

"You couldn't even repeal a spear of light that weak? Like I thought, a low-class devil… No, lower than that," said Raynare.

"Hang on, Midoriya-san!" Ibara began to heal Izuku's wound, with both Dazai and Raynare taking an interest.

"How interesting."

_'__Twilight Healing… I would love to get my hands on that Sacred Gear.' _"Oh, Ibara~!" Raynare called. "If you don't come with me, then we'll have no choice but to kill your friends~!"

"Hey! Don't we get a say in this!?" Kyoka yelled. A yellow light spear stabbing the ground next to her was her answer.

"Be quiet."

"Thank you, Kalawarner," Raynare returned her attention to Ibara. "Well?"

Once Ibara finished healing Izuku, she stood up. "…All right. I'll go with you."

"Huh?!"

"Midoriya-kun," Ibara smiled. "I had fun today. Thank you… for being my friend."

"Wait, Shiozaki-san!" Izuku called out as Ibara walked toward Raynare.

"Good girl," Raynare said with a sweet smile. "After tonight's ritual, all your worries will be over for good."

_'__Ritual…? What's she planning…?'_ "Shiozaki, wait!"

Two red and silver magic circles appeared underneath the fallen angels as they both vanished inside. "Goodbye…" Ibara smiled sadly as she vanished into the portal.

"STOP!" Izuku yelled as he ran to the vanishing portal. But it was too late. The portals vanished before he could reach, leaving behind the sheep Izuku had won for Ibara earlier. Izuku began to cry. "How can I be a hero… if I can't protect my friends?"

A hand gently patted his shoulder. It was Dazai. "You need to stay calm," he said as Izuku's Sacred Gear disappeared. "They could still be in the city. We'll find them."

Izuku nodded. "We'll need help."

* * *

Izuku ran back to the ORC room as fast as he could. The clock was against him and he didn't know what plans those fallen angels had for Ibara, and it was anything but good. He needed help. The police and heroes probably won't believe him, which only meant…

"How many times do I have to repeat myself? No means no. I told you we can't help that girl any more than we already have."

Not the answer he was hoping for, but he had a feeling that she was going to say that. But at this point, he didn't really have much of a choice. Something had to be done. But it seemed asking for help was much more difficult than he had anticipated.

"Rias-san, please. Raynare also mentioned something about a ritual," Izuku pressed on. "What could she have meant by that?"

"Ritual? Hmm… It may be a ritual to take Shiozaki's Twilight Healing. If that were to happen, then Shiozaki won't survive," Rias said. Izuku's eyes widened, realizing that Ibara's life was at stake for sure. "Still, I can't permit you to go after them. If you're killed by a fallen angel or even a priest for that matter, it means the end of your existence. There is no way you can come back from that. Game over."

"But… can we just leave her like that?"

A small magic circle then appeared next to Rias' ear before she could answer, making some kind of sound. From the way her eyes slowly rose, it appeared to be urgent. As soon as the circle disappeared, she reached around her chair to grab her waistcoat. "Sorry, but something just came up. I need to head out for a little bit."

"But we haven't finished!" Izuku said. Rias quickly silenced him by pressing her finger on his lips.

"There's one other thing I need to tell you," she said, her voice moving into lecture-mode, "High-class devils such as myself have a finite amount of servants to allow into their peerage. We refer them as Evil Pieces."

"Evil Pieces… like in… chess?" Izuku asked, his words mumbling against her finger.

Rias smiled at his intuitiveness, "Exactly," she said, removing her finger. "As the leader, my rank is King. Yuuto is my Knight, and Koneko, my Rook. You, Izuku, are my Pawn."

"Wait… so I'm just cannon fodder?" Izuku frowned.

"All chess pieces have a unique skill and the pawn is no different," Rias countered, slipping on her coat, "You have an ability all other pieces do not: Promotion."

"What does that mean?" Izuku asked, unfamiliar with the chess term.

"It means that if you enter an area that the King considers to be enemy territory, such as a _church_, you can promote yourself to a stronger piece other than King, giving you a temporary power boost," she explained, putting an extra emphasis on the word 'church', which Izuku caught on to, "Promoting to Rook will grant you a stronger defense and monstrous strength, Knight gives you greater speed, Bishop enhances magical powers, and Queen combines all three attributes together. However, Queen is a double-edged sword that takes a huge toll on those who haven't increased their stamina. You get what I'm saying?"

"Yeah, I guess…" Izuku nodded. He blinked as remembered what she said. "But wait… you only mentioned Knight, Rook, and Pawn. You don't have any other pieces in your group?"

Rias flinched, almost looking guilty, "I have one other piece, but that… is a story for another time. Just remember that a devil's greatest strength depends on their desire." She stepped onto the room's magic circle, causing it to lit up in red light, "Yuuto, you're in charge while I'm out."

"Hai!" Yuuto nodded as the U.A. first-year teleported out of the room. Looking to his side, he turned to see Izuku as he was walking out of the room. "You're still gonna try and find Shiozaki-chan? Even if you do, that fallen angel isn't alone. You could be walking into a trap."

"An innocent girl is going to die. I'm not the type of person to simply stand idly by when someone's in danger. Don't try and stop me, Kiba-san," Izuku said sternly, turning back to look at him.

"Who said I was?" Yuuto smiled, "I'm coming with you."

"You're what?" Izuku gasped.

"Listen, you're my nakama now. I'd be setting a bad example if I didn't lend you a hand. And Rias-san did say that you can promote yourself if you're in enemy territory. She considers a church to be just that. That's her way of saying to go on ahead." Yuuto told him, patting him on the shoulder.

"Ah…" Izuku said. "They must be at the church in the Korusanto ward. Are you really coming though?"

"We both are, right Koneko-chan?"

"…Someone has to keep you out of trouble." Koneko said before Izuku's gaze reached her.

Izuku slowly smiled, "Then we'd better head on out. Can't keep the others waiting."

"'Others'?"

* * *

Izuku led Yuuto and Koneko to the park, where Ochako, Momo, Kyoka, and the two ADA employees were waiting. Kunikida had an ice pack on his head, given to him by Momo. "Kunikida-san! How are you feeling?" Izuku asked.

"Like I was dealing with every one of Dazai's suicide attempts all at once," he groaned. "Is this the help Dazai talked about?" Kunikida looked over the two devils, clearly not impressed.

"…Toujou Koneko, Rias-senpais Rook."

Yuuto gave a polite bow. "Kiba Yuuto, Knight of Rias Gremory. A pleasure to meet you all."

"Oh, a Knight! How chivalrous!" said Dazai.

"I'll ask one more time," Izuku looked to the three girls and two adults. "Are you sure you want to come?"

"Look, kid, we were going to investigate that church eventually," Kunikida answered, getting up. "Now that we know it's the murderers' hideout, it's our job to take them down."

Izuku nodded before turning to Ochako, Momo, and Kyoka. "And what about you three?"

Kyoka and Ochako looked the most hesitant, but Momo quickly spoke up. "I'm not a big fan of the church or fallen angels," she said, a small hint of rage in her eyes. "And I can't let them hurt someone innocent. I'll go, no matter what you all say."

Kyoka sighed. "Kyoka sighed. "Then I guess I'm going. Have to keep you out of trouble, ya know?" she winked at Momo.

All eyes then turned to Ochako, who had yet to answer. "I'll go," she gulped. "But I'm not sure how much I can help."

"You don't have to go if you don't want to, Uraraka-san," Izuku said. "And I can think of several ways you Quirk can be useful. It lets you control gravity, right?" Izuku guessed.

Ochako blinked a couple of times, "Not exactly, I just need to touch something with all the pads on my fingers, and I can remove gravity's effect on them."

"Hmmm, there are limits, but that can be very helpful," said Dazai. From the tone, it was almost like he was experienced with gravity manipulators.

"We're wasting time," Kunikida suddenly interjected. "Whether you're coming or not, we need to hurry up and get going, before it's too late."

**A/N**

**Yep~! The Armed Detective Agency exists in this story. For those of you who don't know about them, they're from the manga and anime series ****_Bungo Stray Dogs_****. All of the main characters are named after real-life authors and poets and have powers that reference their works. It's really good.**

**As for why I included them? Well, it's a natural consequence of the setting. Quirks have been around for at least 9 generations (around 200 years), so it would make sense for anyone with connections to the supernatural factions (such as Sacred Gear users) to not hide and form groups like this. All they had to do is pass off their abilities as a Quirk (for example, a shadow Gear user can pass it off as a shadow controlling Quirk or for a dragon to take on a human form and pass it off as a Transformation-type Quirk, like Ryukyu).**

**Anyway, the next chapter will be the end of this arc, so stay tuned. PLUS ULTRA!**


	6. Confrontation

The sky had already gone dark by the time they arrived. The team of Izuku, Ochako, Yuuto, Kyoka, Momo, Dazai and Kunikida stood across the street from where the only church in the city was. It was given off a very foreboding atmosphere, especially during the night which made it look even more creepy. It was making Izuku feel rather restless. Whether it was due to the devil genes or simply because it was just that creepy he wasn't sure. From the way most of the others reacted, it was likely the latter.

"What a _cheery_ atmosphere…" Dazai whispered. "Think it's haunted?"

"Yeah right…"

"From this presence alone, there is definitely fallen angel activity going on," Yuuto announced. "And from the look of things, a group of rogue exorcists have also set up camp here, too."

"How so?" Izuku asked.

"See those decapitated statues?" Momo pointed. The others looked over to where she was pointing. There were definitely ruined statues in that direction. "Rogue exorcists who have been abandoned by God destroy holy areas and commit acts of blasphemy for pleasure. If we cut through the entrance, we should be able to get to the sanctuary in one go. That's most likely where they're keeping Shiozaki-san. But…"

"It's possible the enemy will be waiting," Dazai finished.

"And getting through the church won't be a cakewalk," Yuuto added. "That means we only have one chance. Are you ready?"

Izuku took a deep breath. "I am." Izuku replied, "What about you guys?"

Kyoka and Ochako were both shaking. "W-we'll be fine," Kyoka stuttered.

"Yeah… Just still… trying to process all this is all…"

"Try to relax," said Kunikida. "Once we get inside, we can't afford to make any mistakes."

"Thanks again for coming, Kiba-san," said Izuku.

"Hey, you and I are buddies, right? Of course, I'll help," Yuuto smiled. In a 180 turn, his expression turned to one of anger, "And besides, priests aren't my favorite things in the world. In fact, you can say I hate them."

"Hate them?" Izuku blinked. He had never see Yuuto put on such an intense expression before. He was always wearing a refreshing smile wherever he went. And Momo seemed just as angry with the fallen angels. Just what happened to them to make them hate priests and fallen angels like that?

"Questions for later," Koneko interrupted.

"Yeah…" Izuku nodded slowly, summoning his Sacred Gear.

"It's go time!" Kunikida announced.

"Right!" Everyone nodded.

The group quickly rushed through the broken gates and made their way up the steps. "We better hurry! By now it's likely they already know we're here!" Yuuto said. They reached the large doors that led to the inside of the church.

"I got this," Kyoka strode to the front, attaching her earphone jacks to it. Suddenly the large metal doors began to vibrate, shaking apart within seconds.

"Impressive!" said Dazai.

"So cool!" said Izuku, stars in his eyes.

"Thanks…" Kyoka blushed.

**Jiro Kyoka, Quirk: Earphone Jack. She can use her plugs to amplify her own heartbeat to deafeningly explosive levels! She can also hear really faint sounds.**

Koneko then stepped up and, without much effort, moved what was left of the heavy metal door aside. "Wow, she's stronger than she looks," Ochako commented.

"No kidding," Izuku nodded. "Rias-san wasn't kidding about the monstrous strength thing."

The group entered the church and stepped inside the sanctuary. There was an altar and pews, which was what any church had. It looked like an ordinary sanctuary. The candle lights and the interior lamps lit the sanctuary. And something wasn't right here… The statue of Jesus on the cross had his head destroyed. What a creepy site. Who would want to desecrate such a sacred area?

"My, no wonder people stop going to church these days," Dazai quipped, looking around.

"Don't let your guard down," Yuuto warned, taking out a long sword. "Someone is here."

"…Over there," Koneko confirmed, pointing at a pillar.

Someone stepped out from behind the pillar and walked in front of the altar, standing before the group. "Yo, we meet again, devils," Freed greeted, clapping sarcastically, "Glad you could make it! Oh, and you brought friends? Fun~!"

Kunikida drew out a gun. "Is this the priest you told us about?"

"That's him," Izuku scowled.

"Here's the deal. I pride myself on the fact that I never had to fight any devil more than once! Not a single devil has escaped from me. I used to have a 100 percent perfect kill count before you came along! If there's one thing I hate it's being mocked by maggot devils in the house of God!" Freed pulled out a sword and a gun from his back, spinning them both in his hands. "You kids made my murder boner so hard… I'm gonna kill you… and stick my sword inside of you until I make so many murder holes."

"…Do you even hear yourself?" Izuku grimaced, Kyoka gagging behind him.

"I must say, aside from the vulgarity, I love what you've done with the place!" said Dazai, a cheery smile on his face.

"Hahaha, you like? Courtesy of every fallen angel and stray priest that comes through those doors."

"What else have you done?" Dazai asked. "I take it there's more wreckage than what we can see here?"

"Why yes! The alter has a trap door leading to a VIP worship center with an equally important party going on downstairs! We're in the process of-" Freed's brain than caught up to his mouth. "YOU TRICKED ME!" With that, Freed leaped at Dazai. The teens all moved away while Dazai, along with Kunikida, instantly rolled away from each other, perfectly in sync. Freed's downward thrust speared the ground where they had been, the blade sinking into the floor.

Yuuto took the chance to rush forward for a quick slash. Freed was forced to defend himself as both young men clashed blades at one another, sparks flying out from each furious blow. They were both evenly matched and they weren't backing down.

"You're not half bad!" sneered Freed as he drew his silver gun and aimed it at Yuuto's head, "Makes me wanna blow your brains out! KA-BOOM!" Yuuto tilted his head just as the gun fired, the silver bullet only cutting a few strands of his hair. He quickly backflipped to dodge another shot, leaping backwards and landing on his laughed manically as he continued shooting silver bullet rounds at the Knight has he literally ran circles. One of the bullets managed to graze Yuuto on the cheek, but he didn't stop running, even deflecting several bullets from hitting him. But Freed's bullet of bullets quickly ended when Kunikida used his gun to disarm Freed. "OW! Damnit!"

"If your opponent doesn't pay attention to their surroundings, then they lose what little advantage they have," said Kunikida.

"Midoriya, you and the others go on ahead! We'll handle this guy," Kiba said.

"Save the nun," Koneko added.

"I'll help them keep the priest busy. Dazai, you and the others save the girl!"

"Right!" Dazai said as he and the others made their way to the altar.

"Hey! Come back here! No one said you could leave!" Freed shouted, pissed off that the shitty devil got passed him.

"You'll have to deal with us, first!" Kunikida tore out a page from his notebook. "Sacred Gear: Lone Poet! Flashbang!" The notebook page was engulfed by a light green light, transforming into a flashbang. Kunikida threw the flashbang to Freed before it exploded, filling the entire sanctuary with blinding light.

**Kunikida Doppo, Sacred Gear: Lone Poet. He can create anything he needs by using the pages of his notebook, so long as it's no bigger than the notebook and he understands its basic form and function.**

* * *

Izuku, Dazai, Momo, Kyoka, and Ochako made it into the stairwell beneath the altar when the flash bang went off. "Kunikida-san has a Sacred Gear too?!" Izuku asked, having overheard.

"Yep. Called Lone Poet," Dazai led the way down the stairs.

"That's crazy!" said Ochako. "Do you have one of those Sacred Gear things too, Dazai-san?"

"Of course!" he smirked, doing some kind of pose. "And it's perfect for stopping this ritual!" There was a door at the bottom of the stairway, but Dazai didn't even bother to look at it before kicking it down, blasting it off the hinges. He and the teens strode through the dust and found himself in a chamber where a small army of masked priests had suddenly stood up with their swords drawn. At the very end of the room was Raynare standing before a large cross, where Ibara was chained up, both in very thin dresses and magic circles over their chests.

"Midoriya-san… Everyone…" Ibara moaned softly, looking up slowly, "You're… here…"

"What do you know?" Raynare smiled, looking over her shoulder to peer at Izuku and the others, "You actually came after all."

Izuku glared at the fallen angel. "Let Shiozaki-san go!"

"How sweet, but I can't do that," Raynare said, condescendingly, "The ritual… is almost complete." Ibara's body glowed in bright green light, and she screamed in agonizing pain. A small orb slowly appears on her chest.

"NO! Don't you dare!" Izuku snarled, firing a Dragon Shot at Raynare's back. The shot never had a chance to reach as one of the priests quickly deflected it with his sword.

"You will not interfere!" the priest shouted, lunging for the kill.

"I will have your head, devil!" another shouted as more of them zerg rushed them.

"You kids distract them!" Dazai jumped into the air and over the priests.

"'Distract'?! HOW!?" Kyoka didn't get her answer as a priest pounced on her. She instinctively used her earphone jacks to grab hold of the priest's arms and fling him onto his back.

"Here!" Momo, using her Quirk, made two swords, one for Kyoka and another for Ochako, who graciously took the.

Izuku, with some concentration, activated his Sacred Gear's main power. **[Boost!]**

"Yes!" with his strength now doubled, Izuku punched the nearest priest, sending them flying into the wall with enough force to indent it.

Ochako, avoiding the attacks from the priests, used her Quirk to make some of them float up to the ceiling. Kyoka used hers to stabbed tow priests in the head, earning a cry of pain before they collapse.

"Yes! YES!" Raynare exclaimed as the orb fully pulled itself out of Ibara's chest and began to approach Raynare's waiting hands. "It's almost here! Twilight Healing is now MINE!"

"Sorry, but I can't let you have that."

"What the-?!" she gasped as Dazai patted her back. Immediately, Raynare felt the magic circle on her chest disappear. With its destination gone, the orb froze in midair. "NO!"

Dazai slammed his leg against her face, sending the angel flying across the room and out of the doorway, crashing loudly. "You blinked!"

"Dazai-san!" Izuku called out as he, Momo, Ochako, and Kyoka ran up to him. "Is Shiozaki-san okay?"

"She won't be if we don't return that orb," Dazai placed his hand on the cross. It lost all its color and the chains snapped, freeing Ibara. Izuku caught her, and he could already tell that she didn't have much time. Her face was pale and her eyes looked dull.

Momo grabbed the orb and handed it to Izuku. "If we put this thing back inside of her, she should be fine," she said. Then she blinked and blushed. "Maybe I should rephrase that?"

"No time," Izuku said, doing his best not to blush. He pressed the orb back into Ibara's chest. A bright glow covered the room as the Sacred Gear returned to Ibara's body, lasting only for a moment before dimming. As soon as the glow vanished, Ibara coughed and breathed loudly, her cheeks and eyes returning to life.

"…Midoriya-san…" Ibara smiled slowly.

"We're gonna get you outta here," Izuku smiled back. Ibara then hugged him tightly.

"You came for me…" Ibara whispered, tears welling in her eyes, "You actually came."

"Of course I did," Izuku replied, hugging her back.

"Dazai? How did you free Shiozaki? And how'd you stop the ritual?" Kyoka asked.

"With my Sacred Gear," Dazai answered. "No Longer Human."

**Dazai Osamu, Sacred Gear: No Longer Human. It allows him to negate any and all magic with a simple touch, including other Sacred Gears!**

"RAGH! You filthy vermin! You ruined everything!" one of the priests had recovered quickly and tried to strike Dazai in the back. However, the sword of light instantly shattered upon connecting with Dazai. With a disappointed sigh, Dazai swiftly punched the priest in the face, sending him flying into several other priests. Looking around the room, he saw all the other priest quickly recovering and glaring murderously at them, looking none too pleased that the ritual was prematurely interrupted.

"Midoriya…?" Ibara squeaked, clinging onto him fearfully.

"Midoriya, there's an exit over there! You and the others take Shiozaki and go," Dazai ordered. "I'll buy you some time."

"Wait, can you handle them all by yourself?!" Ochako asked.

"Don't worry about me, just go."

Izuku nodded. "Be careful!" Izuku took Ibara's hand and ran for the door, the other girls not far behind.

* * *

Back at the sanctuary, Yuuto, Koneko, and Kunikida were still fighting long and hard against Freed. The so-called holy man was grinning like a psycho as he swung his sword and fired a second gun he had hidden in his robes. Yuuto didn't look like he was tiring anytime soon despite the running around he did. Kunikida had run out of bullets several times, needing pages from his precious notebook to keep up. Freed rapid fired at Kunikida, but Koneko quickly jumped in front of him and used herself as a shield- as much as she could due to her height anyway. It seemed to work as all the bullets were stopped from targeting Yuuto and hit her instead, but rather turn her into bloody swiss cheese the bullets were crushed against her body, a few even tearing up her outfit. Freed seemed to realize that shooting wasn't going anywhere.

"Guns won't work on me," Koneko said boredly.

"Well, well," Freed smirked, his gun smoking, "You're tough for a puny little girl, aren't you?"

Koneko looked down at her chest. "Little…" Koneko suddenly began throwing anything and everything at Freed, who laughed madly and either dodged what was thrown or cut it in half.

"…I take it she's sensitive about her figure?" Kunikida asked Yuuto.

"…She's a little touchy on the subject," Yuuto confirmed.

Kunikida then began to scribble in his notebook. "Never, under any circumstances, intentional or not, make fun of a women's breasts, no matter their age…" he said to himself as he wrote it down.

"So, I have a million euro question for you," Freed asked Yuuto, once Koneko ran out of things to throw, "Why's your new buddy trying to save that shitty maiden?"

"Midoriya-kun? He's just like that, I guess," Yuuto replied. He leaped at Freed, their blades clashing several times before leaping away. "Say's he wants to be a hero."

"Hero?! HA! Like that fucking devil shit stain can be a hero!" Kunikida aiming his gun was enough for Freed to jump back several meters. "You devils like tricks, right? Wanna see mine?" He threw a smoke bomb to the ground. Yuuto, Koneko, and Kunikida's visions were obstructed by the smoke. Once it subsided, Freed was gone.

"Got away again." Yuuto frowned.

"He won't have anywhere to hide," Kunikida said, writing in his notebook. "I'll give his description to the police."

"We need to check up on Midoriya-senpai and the others."

"You two head down the altar." Kunikida ordered. "I'll head outside and check for any other exits."

* * *

At the back of the church, a hidden door flew into the air before falling down to the ground. Izuku walked out into the open, the girls close behind. "We should be fine out here for now," Momo said.

"How are you feeling?" Izuku asked.

"A bit better…" Ibara answered, slightly out of breath. "It really hurt to have my Sacred Gear taken out like that."

"It's gonna be fine. I won't let anyone get to you," Izuku promised.

Ibara smiled sadly, "Only my parents ever stood up for me like that before, not even when I was being banished from my village. Actually… I don't remember the last time anyone was talking to me like a friend."

"You never had any friends?" Ochako asked.

"No," Ibara shook her head, "If we get out of this… would it be alright for us to be friends?"

Each of them smiled, "Of course we will," said Momo.

"Mhm," Ochako nodded.

"Damn straight," Kyoka affirmed.

"Right," Izuku grinned, "And we will get out of this! I promise!"

Ibara beamed brightly at their words, tears of happiness forming in her eyes.

"How sentimental…"

They all froze at the dreadfully familiar voice. Everyone all instinctively surrounded Ibara like a shield as they all looked around the area outside the ruined church for the fallen angel, taking in every nook, cranny, and sound. Momo created a long pole as she put up her guard. Kyoka's earphone jacks twitched as she tried to track Raynare through sound. Ochako had her fists clenched tight. Izuku was preparing for a Dragon Shot, ready to fire the second he saw the fallen.

Ibara looked around as her friends continued trying to find the enemy. She too was feeling a bit scared that none of them knew where she went. With the element of surprise in Raynare's control, there was no telling where she could strike. There was a small light coming out of the corner of her eye. It was faint, but it was enough for her to take notice. Looking up at the perch above them, she noticed the light slowly growing brighter. And then it happened. The flash shot from the perch and blasted straight towards Izuku.

"Izuku!" Ibara shouted as she pushed Izuku. He stumbled and turned only to watch in horror as Ibara took the shot in his place. Time seemed to slow down as the beam of light pierced through Ibara's chest. His eyes widened as blood burst out of the wound and the girl collapsed on the ground.

"IBARA!"

"Oh, too bad," Raynare said, condescendingly. With the element of surprise gone, she descended down from her perch and glided to the ground. She smiled cruelly as she watched. Izuku was cradling Ibara as the blood rushed out of her wound deeply. She was breathing hard as she desperately clung to what little breath she had left. "That's a good look for someone as pathetic as you," she said. "I had considered going after the traitor, but you just piss me off more. So sad about Ibara, but if I can't have the Twilight Healing then there's no way I'm letting anyone else take it from me."

Momo growled, "Why you!" A bolt of lightning shot out of Momo's hand, coming dangerously close to striking Raynare had she not taken to the air.

"Hold on Ibara! Just hold on! Stay with me!" Izuku desperately screamed.

"Izuku…san…" Ibara gasped softly, tears in her eyes.

"Try not to talk!" Ochako said, kneeling down next to her.

"Just use Twilight Healing and heal yourself!" Kyoka asked, trying her best not to lose consciousness from the sight.

"I…I can't…" She was too weak and losing blood. She was fading fast.

"Then just save your strength!" Momo said, kneeling down and creating a med-kit. "We'll save you!"

"Save her? Ha!" Raynare laughed, a spear of light in hand. "How pathetic. You can't save her once you're all dead!"

_*BANG! BANG!*_

Raynare screamed as two bullets knocked the light spear out of her hand. "Kids! You alright?!"

Izuku turned to see Kunikida running toward them. "Kunikida-san! Ibara's hurt!"

Kunikida ran toward Ibara's side, nearly gagging at the sight of the gaping hole in her chest. "This is bad…" He silently cursed himself for not getting here sooner. "We need to stabilize her. But one of us needs to deal with that fallen angel."

Izuku, glaring at Raynare, stood up. "I'll do it."

"Wha- You can't!" Ochako said. "She'll kill you!"

"Maybe, but it'll give you guys time to get away and help Ibara." Saying nothing else, Izuku began walking towards Raynare.

"Be careful kid. And good luck," said Kunikida.

The fallen angel had moved a few meters back, clenching her hand in pain. "Damnit, Freed! You couldn't deal with three fucking devils and their fucking friends?!" She then noticed that Izuku was walking toward her. "Oh, what's this? Does the little devil boy want to play?" Without hesitating, Raynare created another spear and threw it at Izuku.

"_Promotion: Rook!_" Immediately, Izuku felt a twinge in his chest as the Evil Piece responded to his command. He felt his body grow denser. The spear of light bounced off of Izuku's body, shattering in the process. Though it did leave a pretty bad gash in Izuku's side.

"So you're a Pawn," Raynare hissed.

"I may be a Pawn," Izuku growled, his Sacred Gear glowing green. "But that won't stop me from beating you!"

**[Boost!]**

Raynare smirked. "Please, don't get yourself worked up. There's nothing a shitty low-class devil like you that can-"

**[****Boost****!]**

Raynare's smirk disappeared, her eyes widening.

Izuku's entire body began to glow green. "I don't care what you say!"

**[****Boost****!]**

"I'm not going to let you hurt me, Ibara, or anyone else ever again!"

**[Dragon Force!]**

Both Izuku and his Sacred Gear changed. The bracer transformed into a clawed gauntlet with 2 golden spikes. Red scales now covered Izuku's right arm, the sides of his face, and back, where two leathery wings emerged alongside his devil wings, giving him a more dragonic look.

Raynare began to tremble. "That's… impossible! His Sacred Gear shouldn't be capable of any of this! It's just a Twice Critical!"

Terrified, Raynare tried to flee, but Izuku, with far more speed than a Rook should have, caught up to her. Grabbing her by the leg, he threw her into the ground. Raynare gagged as Izuku landed near her. As she tried to stand, she saw Izuku approaching her. "N-no! Stay back! Don't touch me!"

Izuku reared his fist back as it glowed with green energy, and then rammed it straight through her stomach. "Dragon… SMASH!" A burst of energy exploded around them as his fist made contact.

"Guah…!" Raynare coughed loudly from the blow. Her body bucked and arched into an awkward angle as she was sent flying. She crashed through the side of the church, landing in the sanctuary.

Izuku followed her into the sanctuary, finding Raynare on the floor, out cold. Izuku breathed a sigh of relief. He won.

"Hey, Midoriya! Over here!"

Izuku turned around at the sound of the voice, finding Yuuto, Koneko, and Dazai casually sitting on a few smashed pews.

"Guys! You okay?"

"No biggie," Koneko shrugged, stuffing herself with a pack of gummies she had brought with her.

"Those priests were such disappointments…" Dazai huffed. "Couldn't one of them have used a real gun? By the way, I like your new look, Izuku-kun. Very hero-y."

Izuku checked himself over, now noticing the large leathery wings and scales. "Holy whoa, you're right! Guess I didn't notice until now."

"You're unbelievable," Koneko deadpanned.

"Nice job beating that fallen angel, Midoriya-kun." Yuuto smiled, holding his sword over his shoulder. "It sure was impressive."

"You guys saw that? Why didn't you come help?"

"Buchou told us not to get involved," Yuuto answered.

"Because I believed in you."

Izuku spun around quickly at the sound of Rias' voice. Sure enough, there she was smiling rather proudly at him. "Senpai?!"

"I knew you could do it on your own," Rias smiled, walking over to him and rubbing his hair, "As expected of my cute junior. You definitely pull your weight."

"H… hai…" Izuku nodded slowly, blushing softly.

"Oh, your Sacred Gear."

Izuku looked at his newly changed Sacred Gear. "Yeah, I don't know what happened. Both it and me just changed."

"Red Dragon…" Rias muttered. "That explains a lot."

Then Izuku remembered, "Ibara!"

Izuku ran over to where he left Ibara and the others. But he didn't get very far as they soon walked into the sanctuary through the hole Izuku made, Shiozaki in Kunikida's arms, her eyes dull and lifeless. "Izu…ku…" she gasped for breath.

"I'm sorry, we did all we could," Kunikida said. "Even if we get her to the nearest hospital, I doubt she'll be able to survive."

Momo covered her mouth, Kyoka doing the same. Ochako was on the verge of tears.

Izuku went wide-eyed. "No… I won't let you die! You saved me, so I'll save you!" He looked desperately at Rias, "Is there a way to save her?"

"There is," Rias nodded quickly. She held up a small red piece in her fingers. "Do you know what this is?"

"That's… a bishop piece," Izuku recognized.

"This is my last one, too," Rias said. "Ibara, for saving my servant I will reward you with a second life. However, you will be reborn as a devil and will have to work under me for all eternity, and you can no longer serve God. Do you accept?"

Ibara looked up at her and nodded weakly, "I want… to stay with… Izuku…"

Rias smiled, "Sir, set her down gently and back away. I need room to perform this ritual." Kunikida nodded before slowly lowering Ibara down on the ground gently and stepping away. Rias knelt down and placed the bishop piece just below her breasts. A magic circle glowed underneath Ibara in a crimson color as the bishop piece also glowed just as brightly. Rias stood up then stood up and began to ritual. _"I, Rias Gremory, command by my name to thee, Shiozaki Ibara. To allow thy soul to descend to this Earth again, to become my servant. As your new master, I grant you a new life!" _At Rias' command, the magic circle flashed brightly as the bishop piece sank into her body. The magic circle vanished once the ritual was complete. Ibara's eyes slowly blinked as she felt that the pain her chest was no more. She sat up and removed the wrapping around her chest. There was no hole. It was all solid again.

"The power to bring the near dead back to a healthy state…" Dazai whispered in intrigue. "Looks like Yosano has some competition."

"Izuku-san!" Ibara smiled, leaping up and grabbing the dragon boy in a hug. Izuku happily returned the hug tightly as a small tear of joy rolled down his cheek.

"Ibara," he whispered, "Glad to have you back."

"Awesome…" Kyoka whispered. "Does that only work when someone's about to die?"

"No," Rias answered. "It's mostly done when both participants are healthy and alive."

"That's good to know…" Momo whispered. "I wonder if…" She shook her head, deciding to ask for that later.

"Damn you…" The heartwarming moment was interrupted by Raynare stomping forward, light swirling in her hands, looking absolutely livid. "You just had to turn Ibara into a devil, didn't you? How the fuck can I be beaten by a shitty Twice Critical?!"

"Izuku doesn't have a Twice Critical."

Raynare visibly flinched by what Dazai said. "What?"

"He's right," Rias confirmed. "I understand your confusion since you first saw it in its dormant state, but what Izu-kun really has is the Boosted Gear, a mid-tier Longinus. It doubles his power every ten-seconds, allowing him to transcend both God and Satan at will."

Izuku, flabbergasted, stared at his Boosted Gear. As did Raynare. "You- You mean this _child_ is the Red Dragon Emperor?!" she took several steps back. "T-that won't matter! You haven't won in the slightest. I still have my comrades to-"

"Your comrades are dead," Rias interrupted coolly.

Raynare's face paled. "What?"

Rias reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out two black feathers, "Recognize _these_? I'm sure you've seen these feathers from somewhere before."

Raynare began to tremble. "You… you…"

"After you and your friend attacked Izu-kun and Ibara, I got word that a rogue squad of fallen angels were planning to attack this city, so I went and had a chat with your colleagues Dohnaseek and Kalawarner. But then they had the nerve to ridicule my precious servant…" red and black energy enveloped the two feathers, vaporizing them.

"She… She killed them?!" Izuku gasped.

"Rias-san is the heir of the Duke-level Gremory Clan, which are famous for treating their servants as family, and she's no exception to that," Yuuto explained. "She's hailed as a genius among other young devils for her talent and Power of Destruction, a magical power handed down only to the members of her family. It can obliterate and erase anything it touches and can cause objects to decay. It's how she earned the nickname 'the Crimson-Haired Princess of Ruin'."

_'__What scary names!'_ Izuku, Momo, Ibara, Ochako, and Kyoka all thought.

Rias then glared at Raynare. "Now, what to do about you?" The fallen angel began to shake and tremble in fear. "I could just simply purge you here and now, but I get the feeling that would be too light." Rias looked at Izuku and Ibara. "Of all of us, she's done the worst to you two. It's only fair that you choose what happens to her now."

"I…I don't want anyone else hurt because of me." Ibara squeaked. "Could… could you please let her go?"

Rias then glanced at Izuku for his answer. "Believe me, I want Raynare to pay for what she did, but if she did this without the other fallen angel's knowledge like you said, then I think it would be best to let them decide what to do with her."

Rias smiled. "Congratulations, Raynare. You're free to go, assuming the other fallen ever want to see you again."

Raynare looked surprised, hopeful, and terrified by what was happening and what would happen to her. When Rias made no further moves, she crawled backwards and spread her damaged wings. The female fallen flapped her wings and flew off as fast as she could.

"And there she goes," Dazai commented. "I was really hoping she would be brave enough to commit to a double suicide."

"…I think you need a psychiatrist," Izuku and the other teens all sweat-dropped.

"Unless it's a woman, he'll just scare them off," Kunikida muttered, putting away a flip phone. "You kids better leave, too. I just called the police. They'll be here in a few minutes."

Rias nodded, creating a magic circle next to her. "Izu-kun, Ibara, Koneko, Yuuto, let's go."

"Wait, what about us?!" Kyoka asked.

"Don't worry, I'll take you kids somewhere safe," said Dazai.

The three girls nodded. "See you tomorrow?" Ochako said to Izuku.

"Yeah."

* * *

The next morning, Izuku was in the Occult Research Club room with Rias drinking a cup of tea with her. Everyone else had yet to arrive. "So how's your injury?" she asked him.

"Great. Shiozaki-san really outdid herself," Izuku told her.

"Right… Ibara's power to heal devils, fallen angels, and perhaps other races is very valuable, so it's easy to see why the fallen angels were after it," Rias nodded, crossing her legs.

"So, I've been wondering," Izuku began twiddling this thumbs. "There are eight pawn pieces on a chessboard, right? Does that mean I'll be expecting more pawns just like me?"

"No. You're my only one," Rias told him.

"Huh?" Izuku blinked.

Rias took a sip of her drink before setting it down. "The amount of Evil Pieces used to turn someone into a devil depends on that person's overall potential. A devil's worth is whether or not they can utilize their powers efficiently. When I revived you, I had one knight, one rook, one bishop, a queen, and eight pawns. Since you used up all eight of my pawn pieces to recruit, I wouldn't have been able to revive you."

"_ALL_ of them?!" Izuku gasped. "I'm worth eight pawns?!"

"That's right, but I didn't understand why until last night," Rias smiled. She leaned in and stroked his cheek gently, his face instantly reacting as it turned red, "I had intended to use my queen piece, but I decided to take the gamble and use my pawns. Now that we know you have the Boosted Gear, that means you can become the Ultimate Pawn, a hero that's never been seen before," her smile widened at the blush on his face. "The Crimson-Haired Princess of Ruin and the Red Dragon Emperor make a good match, huh? I'll be rooting for you, got it?"

"R-right," Izuku nodded slowly. Rias smiled before she kissed him on the forehead, "S-senpai?!" Izuku gasped, his face turning into a bright shade of red from the unexpected display of affection.

Rias removed her lips from his forehead and stuck out her tongue playfully, "That's a good luck charm. The U.A. Entrance Exam is a little over five months away, so train hard. Oh, and call me 'Buchou' from now on. I can't show too much affection or else our new member will be jealous fufu…" she giggled as she turned her gaze at the door. Izuku followed her gaze and found a familiar crown of thorns standing there.

"Shiozaki-san?" Izuku saw the newly turned devil's face was red as she fidgeted with her fingers nervously.

"U-um… it's obvious that Rias-buchou is beautiful, so of course, Izuku-san would be in love with her- No, no, no! I can't be thinking of such things! O Lord, please forgive thy sinful heart- OW!" Ibara prayed before feeling a throbbing pain in her head.

Izuku chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head, "I know how that is, it happened to me once too. How are you adapting?"

"It will take time for me to get used to becoming a devil and I'm sad that I can't pray to God anymore, but I don't have any regrets," Ibara smiled with a pink tint on her cheeks.

"Glad to hear that," Izuku said to her.

"Ibara-chan will applying for the U.A. Entrance Exam too, so she'll be training with us for the next few months," Rias explained.

"Oh, okay," Izuku replied. "Guess we'll be training together then, Shiozaki-san."

"Y-you can just call me Ibara if that's all right?" Ibara told him, smiling.

"Sure," Izuku smiled. "I _was_ calling you by your name last night, after all."

"Now ain't this cute?"

Looking at the door, Izuku saw Kyoka, Momo, and Ochako standing there. "Oh, you guys made it," Izuku said.

"Thanks for inviting us," said Ochako. She then looked over to Rias. "We never really introduced ourselves. I'm Uraraka Ochako."

"I'm Yaoyorozu Momo."

"Jiro Kyoka."

"I'm Rias Gremory," she said as the three girls sat down. "I take it you're here to check on Ibara?"

"Yeah. We wanted to see if she and Midoriya were okay," Kyoka told her. "And before you ask, we promise not to tell anyone about you guys being devils. Not like they'd believe us…"

Rias giggled. "That's good to know. Since Izu-kun trusted you to help last night, I think I can trust you as well."

"Uh, Rias-san…" Momo hesitantly looked up. "Can I… ask you something? In private?"

"Sure," Rias replied. "You can ask after the party is over."

"Party?"

A door to an adjacent room then opened, where Yuuto wheeled in a trolley holding a cake and various other sweets, with Koneko close behind. "A little cake to welcome our new member," he then noticed the three girls on the sofa. "And guests, it seems."

"By the way, where's Dazai-san and Kunikida-san?" Ochako asked.

"They went back to Yokohama earlier today," Rias answered. "Though Kunikida did leave a note with the ADA's number if we ever need their help. But enough about that." Rias took a glass of soda and held it over her head, "Let's welcome our newest member to the Occult Research Club! Kampai!"

"Kampai!" the others cheered.

As the party was continuing on, Rias suddenly felt a presence watching from out of the window. Turning around, she saw a very exotic bird gazing directing at her. She swallowed hard, recognizing the bird quickly. She stared at the bird until Izuku snapped her out.

"Buchou? What's wrong?"

"Oh, Izu-kun, it's…" she turned back to the window to where the bird was, only to find the bird was gone. "It's nothing, Izuku…" she told him with a smile on her face, though the sudden turmoil in her heart spoke otherwise.

* * *

Raynare flew as far and as fast as she could. She tried returning to the Underworld but found that Mittlet beat her there. Turns out the brat was a spy sent by Azazel to keep tabs on her and the others. She realized that if she went back to Grigori, she'll be considered a traitor. Hell, she probably already had a bounty on her head by now. Not that surprising, as she both directly disobeyed Azazel's orders and made sure the devils brought the Red Dragon Emperor to their side!

By the time she arrived in Yokohama, a couple of days had passed since her humiliating defeat. She could never face Kokabiel ever again after her massive screwup. The warmonger would surely use her for cannon fodder or target practice if she did. She was on her own, just like before…

Finding an alleyway to rest, Raynare sat down and put away her wings. "Red Dragon Emperor…" she hissed. "Gremory Princess… Azazel… I swear, I will make you all pay, even if it's the last thing I do!"

"My, what have we here?"

Instinctively, Raynare created a spear of light and aimed it at the voice's source. "Who's there!? Show yourself!"

"Very well," stepping out of the shadows was a man in his early 40s. He was fairly tall and had a slender physique. His eyes seem red and have a strange pattern on their pupils. His medium black hair was swept back, leaving only two bangs to the front on each side. He was wearing a dark-colored open shirt with a loose black tie under a white coat, white pants, and black shoes.

"Who are you?" Raynare demanded.

"Just a back alley doctor," he said with a reassuring smile. "I happen to see you land and thought I could help."

"Help? I don't need your help!" Raynare snapped. "If you're planning to rape me, then forget it!"

"Sorry to disappoint, but I prefer girls under twelve."

Raynare's eye began to twitch. "That's it! I've had a couple of really bad days, and I think I'll take out my frustrations on _you_!"

The doctor simply smiled and said, "Why don't you try?"

Raynare suddenly began shaking uncontrollably. _'Wha… What?!' _she dropped the spear, which shattered upon hitting the ground. Raynare fell to the ground next, frozen in fear. _'My body won't listen. This murderous intent, it's suffocating! It rivals Kokabiel's!'_ "Who are you!?"

"As I said, a back alley doctor. Well, at least that's what I used to be," he began to walk closer to her. "Now I have a new job, and I'm willing to hire you, Raynare."

The irises in Raynare's fear-stricken eyes shrunk. "How-"

"News travels fast, especially if you have informants in the Underworld," he was now standing directly over her. "It would be such a wast for someone of your talents to be sent to prison, so I'm here to make you a deal. Work for me, or I hand you over to Azazel in body bags. Well?"

Raynare could only nod her head, not having any other choice.

"Excellent!" the killer intent subsided. "Welcome to the Port Mafia." He lent out his hand, which Raynare took.

**A/N:**

**Alright! Finished the first arc of the story, "Rise of the Red Dragon". I admit I'm not the best writer out there, and I know that everyone is hoping for more divergence from the DxD canon, but honestly, there are some things that can't be changed and at the moment I'm doing minor changes like Raynare and Mittlet surviving.**

**Next arc will have some focus on Ochako, and why she's "blase" to all the supernatural shenanigans, as said by MereC55. SPOILER: It's something genetic. As for Kyoka, well, it has something to do with Momo.**

**If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, please let me know.**

**I'll also be taking a week-long break, so the next chapter won't come until the 22nd. Until then, see ya! PLUS ULTRA!**


	7. Friendly Competition

A few days have passed since the fight against Raynare, and Ibara was adjusting well to her new life as a devil. Like Izuku, she was tasked with handing out pamphlets and flyers, and she managed to get her first contact. Unlike Izuku, due to being a bishop, Ibara was well adapted in magical ability next to Rias.

But Izuku didn't really mind. He was just happy he was finally able to use his Boosted Gear. Izuku did tell his mother about his newly developed 'power' to which she spent the whole day hugging her son and crying tears of joy, much to Rias' amusement.

Then there was the case of Ibara's living arrangements. Izuku knew that given her new circumstances she would need somewhere to stay. But he wasn't expecting to see stacks of boxes in front of his apartment, with both Rias and Ibara standing right next to them. Rather than answering what the boxes were for, in which she said she would do later, Rias only told him to bring them inside. Fortunately for them, or rather unfortunately for Izuku, the matriarch of the Midoriya household was home.

"Let me get this straight…" Inko said slowly, making sure that she had heard it right the first time, "You want Ibara-chan to board in with us?"

The woman in question was sitting at the dining room table apart from Izuku, Rias, and Ibara, still trying to wrap her head around what was just said. It really was one of the last things a mother expected to hear. A pretty girl staying with her teenage son… that was one of the many things a boy his age would dream of happening to them. Even Izuku was looking flabbergasted at Rias request. A lovely looking young girl suddenly staying with them? Something was telling her that a lot more was going to follow very soon.

"I know it's inconvenient but please hear me out," Rias said, playing spokeswoman, "Ibara comes from a small village and she doesn't have any known relatives. After she arrived to the city Izu-kun was the first and only one who helped her and showed her around, so she mostly feels at ease when she's around him. It would only make sense to be around someone who makes you feel at ease, don't you think so?"

"Well, that is true," Inko nodded, rubbing her chin, "And I can say for a fact that Izuku wouldn't even dream of doing anything shameful to a girl. Still, this is a lot for me to think about."

"In that case," Rias continued, moving in for argument #2, "What would you say if Ibara became your adopted daughter?"

"Adopted…?" Inko blinked, "What do you mean?"

"Ibara trusts Izu-kun greatly so," Rias explained, "While it is true that his main problems lie in his social awkwardness, he is also straightforward and confronts any problem without hesitation. I, as well as Ibara, were both charmed by that quality of his."

"T-that's right!" Ibara pipped up timidly, "Izuku-san risked his life for mine without care for his own safety!"

"Is that right…?" Inko hummed, "It certainly sounds like Izuku. But still…"

"Then let me offer you this," Rias replied, laying down her trump card, "We can use the time Ibara lives here as bridal training." The room stayed silent only for a short while as Rias' words sank in.

"H-HAH?!" Inko exclaimed, eyes widening.

"BRIDAL TRAINING?!" Izuku, Inko, and Ibara all gasped, the two teens blushing brightly.

"Think of it this way. If Izuku interacts with Ibara as much as possible, it could make him grow out of his social anxiety shell," Rias reasoned. "And it would give him an easier time to interact with girls his age."

"Those are… some very convincing arguments," Inko responded, calming down from her shock. "Now that I think about it, with Hisashi working so much now, it would be nice to have some extra company. And on that note…" she trailed off as she looked at Ibara. "I wouldn't mind if she bore me grandchildren."

Izuku and Ibara both stared at Inko with wide eyes as her words sank in, "EEHHH!" Rias simply couldn't help but giggle at Inko's statement.

"MOM!" Izuku exclaimed, his head steaming. "PLEASE DON'T JOKE LIKE THAT!"

"Who said I was joking?" Then she smiled brightly, "At any rate, I look forward to you staying with us Ibara-chan. Please take care of my son."

"W… well," Ibara bowed shyly, "I'm may be inexperienced, but I'll be under your care from now on, Izuku-san's kaa-sama. I hope we get along."

Rias smiled as she watched Inko rubbed Ibara's head, gushing about how cute and adorable she was as Izuku was facepalming over his mother's antics. Turning to the side, her smile dropped as a weary look appeared on her eyes.

_'__A bride, huh…?'_

* * *

The very next day, Izuku and Ibara left home and made their way to school. As expected from what happened the last time, the various boys and girls who were among the crowd to school were staring both oddly and enviously with a hint of suspicion at Izuku and Ibara. Once again, Izuku was walking to school with a very attractive beauty. Izuku did his best to ignore the stares, settling for the company Ibara gave him.

"Hau~…" Ibara whispered nervously, twisting the handle of her schoolbag with both hands. "My first day at a school in years… I'm really nervous about this…"

"What was school like back in your old village?" Izuku asked her.

"I really don't remember much, just a single small elementary school," Ibara told him. "But after my Twilight Healing was discovered, I was made to stop going to school altogether and given a private tutor. They told me that the Holy Maiden was far too prestigious to learn 'menial lessons'." Izuku could hear some hint of loneliness in her voice as she said it.

Izuku cringed sadly. Ibara really did felt lonely after becoming a Holy Maiden. She was adored and admired, but never loved for the person she was. The fact that she was quickly kicked to the curb after healing a devil only further reinforced the point on how the people there were selfish and ignored the needs of a girl still in her adolescence. "Don't worry. We'll be in neighboring classes along with Kiba-san, so we'll be there for you."

"Thank you, Izuku-san," Ibara smiled, a light blush on her face.

* * *

Later on in the day, Izuku and Ibara were in the Occult Research Club room lounging around with Rias, Yuuto, Koneko, Momo, Kyoka, and Ochako. Even without anything to do, Ibara enjoyed the company. It was warm and welcoming. Quite unlike the loneliness she felt back in her home village. Izuku was sitting on one of the sofas with Ibara right beside him, enjoying the mochi Ochako had brought. Kyoka and Momo were sitting on the couch across from them, enjoying the mochi also. Koneko had gotten hold of the bag and has already eaten half of it, much to Ochako's dismay. Yuuto was sitting in a chair nearby, reading a book. Rias sat at her desk, fulfilling paperwork.

Each of them chatted among themselves, having fun. At least, that was the case until Ibara explained where she'll be staying. "Oh, you're living together now, eh?" Kyoka asked, a sly smile on her face. "So, when can we expect a wedding?"

"J-J-J-Jiro-san!" Izuku stuttered, his whole head glowing red from embarrassment.

Ibara, though equally as embarrassed, silently liked the idea.

Ochako nearly choked, either from trying not to laugh or from a small amount of jealousy she felt. Maybe both.

"Kyoka, please show some respect," Momo hissed.

Kyoka playfully stuck out her tongue and winked in response.

Deciding to change the subject, Rias spoke up. "So Yaoyorozu-san, how's your training coming along?"

"Great," Momo answered. "We're almost done, with plenty of time left until the recommendation tests, so you better keep your end of the deal."

"Of course," Rias said with a smile, "Assuming you finish in time."

Not long after Momo, Kyoka, and Ochako left.

Once they were gone, Ibara spoke up. "Uh, Buchou. What was that deal Yaoyorozu-san talked about?"

Rias sighed. "A pretty bold and unexpected request. She wants to become a devil."

"What?!" Izuku and Ibara gasped.

Yuuto simply chuckled. "Well, that's unexpected to say the very least."

Koneko simply munched on the mochi.

"Why would she want that?" Izuku asked.

"She didn't say, but we made a deal: If she can finish cleaning Dagoba Beach at least a month before the recommendations tests, then I'll make her a devil," Rias then smiled. "But enough about that, here's why we're really here," Rias got off from her desk and pointed at Izuku and Ibara. "It's time we got you two familiars."

"Familiars?" Izuku asked.

"What are they?" Ibara asked.

"Familiars are very essential in devil society. Think of them as like sidekicks. They can back you up with various tasks and can assist in battle." Rias snapped her fingers. In a puff of smoke, a small cartoony bat with dark red fur appears next to her. "This is my familiar, Moka. You actually already met her, Izu-kun."

"I did?" Right as Izuku said that, Moka changed into a young woman, wearing a vampire-style outfit. Izuku recognized her right away. "You're that girl who gave me the flyer!"

"And it was a lucky thing you kept the flyer," Rias nodded as Moka turned back into a bat.

"This is Shiro, he's mine," Koneko said, showing a small white kitten in her arms.

"Aw, he's cute!" Ibara cooed at the total adorableness of Koneko's familiar, leaning forward to scratch the feline on the ears. The little cat gave a small purr, enjoying the scratches.

"And this is mine," Izuku looked over at Yuuto, showing a small bird on his forearm.

"So me and Ibara-san are going to get familiars now?" Izuku asked, admiring the bird.

"Well, about that…" Rias was interrupted by a sudden knock on the door. "Oh, we have visitors. The door's opened!"

The young devils stood up as the door opened up, and stepping into the room was a group led by a girl the same age as Rias. She was slender and a little shorter than Rias. She had short, bobcut styled hair being held together by a single clip. Her eyes were strangely pinkish and were behind a set of red glasses with oval frames that gave her a cute and professional look.

Next to her was a slender woman with split bangs long black hair that freely fell down to her knees and blue rectangular glasses behind heterochromic eyes, the left being violet and the other one brown. The rest of the teens behind them consisted of five girls and one boy, some wearing U.A. uniforms. "Sorry to interrupt," the bobcut greeted the group with a small smile.

"Who are they?" Ibara whispered.

"They're mostly U.A. students currently running for positions in the Student Council," Yuuto answered, having overheard. "The one in front is Sona Shitori and the other one next to her is Shinra Tsubaki."

Rias then smiled at Sona. "Good to see you again, Sona," Rias greeted. "What can I do for you?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to congratulate you on increasing the number of your servants," Sona replied. She then smiled slyly. "It took you long enough."

"Wait, how does she know?" Izuku asked.

"Because her real name is Sona Sitri," Yuuto told them. "And just like Buchou, she's a high-class devil and next in line to lead the House of Sitri."

"Huh? So then, other students at U.A. are devils just like us?" Izuku blinked.

"It's pretty surprising you haven't told the newbie about us, Buchou," the sole male of the Sitri group said. He was somewhat average looking with grey eyes and shaggy light brown hair. He wasn't wearing a school uniform. "But if you can't trust him with inside info then I guess he isn't worth much."

"It's considered bad form for devils from other households to interfere with one another, Saji," Sona reprimanded him, causing Saji to look at her in surprise, "It isn't all that surprising that Rias hasn't told him anything about us yet. And that's the point of this visit anyway." Sona then turned to the others. "This is Saji Genshirou, my second and newest Pawn," Sona introduced, smiling.

"This is Midoriya Izuku, my new Pawn. And this is my second Bishop, Shiozaki Ibara," Rias smiled, gesturing at the two of them.

"Um, I'm pleased to you," Ibara bowed, "I hope we'll get along."

"Sure! I'm all for it! Let's be great friends!" Saji greeted back with a friendly tone as he shook her hand. Izuku was slightly unsettled by Saji's forwardness. He simply let it slide as he introduced himself next.

"Pleased to meet you, Saji-san. I'm looking forward to working with another Pawn," Izuku smiled, extending his hand.

Saji, on the other hand, gave a snort as cooly smirked at Izuku. "Yeah, yeah, sure," he scoffed arrogantly. "Dude, you might be nice and all, but you're nowhere on my level. I took up four Pawns on my own!" the braggart continued after a breath for dramatic effect, "Maybe someday you'll be able to meet me on equal footing and we'll see who's the better Servant."

"Midoriya took up eight pieces. It's always better to get your facts straight before you make a complete fool of yourself," Sona quickly spoke.

Saji's eyes widened at Izuku's Evil Piece worth, "What? Eight pieces? This guy? How'd he managed that?!"

"My apologies for my Pawn's naivety," Sona told them, "He's young and eager, but he's still has a lot to learn and needs to appreciate the finer points of civility."

"Y-yeah," Saji frowned apologetically as he rubbed the back of his head, "Sorry about that."

"It's okay," Izuku said.

"That reminds me, you're planning on getting your two recruits familiars soon, right?" Sona asked Rias.

"Yes, what of it?" Rias asked.

"Then it looks like we've got ourselves a deadlock," Sona frowned worriedly. "I planned on getting Saji a familiar for him around the same time. And only one of us can enter the Forest of Familiars."

"In that case," Rias smiled, "How about a friendly little contest to sort this whole thing out."

"A contest?" Sona repeated, looking surprised.

"Whoever wins earns the right to find a familiar first," Rias challenged, "Does that sound fair?"

Sona arched an eyebrow, "Surely you aren't talking about a Rating Game."

Rias chuckled humorously, "Oh, no. We'd never get permission to do something like that."

Sona gave a relaxed smile, "You have a point about that. Besides, this isn't the time to call attention to yourself, now is it?"

Rias suddenly frowned as her eyes flashed slightly. "Don't go there." Izuku looked at Rias worriedly at the sudden unpleasant look on her face. His worries were eased somewhat as she gave a smile, "I know, let's settle this the old fashioned high school way with sports."

"Oh? Sounds interesting. I'm game," Sona smiled back. From the way the presidents were looking at each other, sparks seemed to fly between them.

"Uh, Yuuto-san," Izuku whispered, "Is this going to be okay?"

"Don't worry so much," Yuuto answered with a smile, "Buchou and Sona-senpai are actually childhood friends and they've been competing with each other since they were in diapers. They always challenge each other when they get the chance."

"Healthy competition? If you say so…" Izuku nodded.

* * *

The sun was shining brightly the very next day, a perfect day for a tennis match. Saji and a few of the other girls from the Student Council were cheering on Sona as they stood on one end of the caged tennis court, while Izuku, Ibara, and Yuuto rooted for Rias as they stood on the other end. The two girls had rackets at the sides and were dressed in white sleeveless shirts with mini-skirts that gave a small peep show as the wind blowed in the air, not that they seemed to mind as they focused on the match at hand.

Izuku sat on the front bleachers close to the match when his phone rang. He'd received a text from Ochako.

_Uraraka: Hey! We're at the clubroom. Where are you guys?_

Izuku chuckled nervously, realizing he and Ibara forgot to tell them about the tennis match.

_Midoriya: We're at a tennis club in town. Buchou is having a match with a friend._

_Jiro: Whoa! Seriously!? Right now?!_

Kyoka suddenly jumped in. Followed my Momo.

_Yaoyorozu: Can we come watch?_

"Sona, I'm in it to win it," Rias said to her friend, dribbling the tennis ball. "So don't expect me to go easy."

"I wouldn't have it any other way. May the best devil win," Sona smirked, the flames of challenge in her eyes.

Izuku sweat-dropped as he sent a reply.

_Midoriya: Sure, I'll send the address. But you might want to hurry._

Rias served up the ball into the air and struck it forward. Quickly, Sona received the ball and returned it back. The two young women batted the ball intensely, defending their sides and trying to get it over the other court. With how they were moving, their skirts were getting dragged in the air, flashing their bright white panties.

"Holy whoa, those two are into it," Izuku said, watching the game play out. "They're bouncing that ball like crazy."

Yuuto nodded in agreement. "I've never seen Buchou get so into a contest like this before," he said.

"Is it just me, or is this starting get a bit out of hand?" Koneko questioned rhetorically.

"I… think you may be right," said Ibara.

Back on the court, Sona smiled confidently as she twirled the ball in her hand, "This game is starting to get repetitive, so how about we make things interesting?" She threw the ball up into the air as her she reared back her racket, the tool glowing in dim blue energy. "Eat this! Sitri Spin Attack!" She slammed the ball against the racket and the now glowing orb zoomed across the stage.

"Oh really? Can you handle the Gremory Counter-Strike?" Rias dared. She reared back her racket as the ball approached her. To her surprise, the ball suddenly changed trajectory before she could make a counter, causing her to miss completely, "Whoah!"

"One point to the Sona-san!" a brown-haired girl with twin pigtails and green eyes, Nimura Ruruko, Sona's other Pawn, serving as the referee announced.

"No way! She's using magic!?" Izuku gaped.

"Haha! Suck on that, Midoriya!" Saji laughed, waving a flag with the words 'Student Council' written on it.

Izuku sweatdropped upon seeing the display. "I thought only a few were U.A. students, let alone running the student council…"

"Didn't they agree not to use magic?" Ibara asked.

"I don't think that's gonna stop them," Koneko sighed.

"So much for rules, huh?" Yuuto shrugged, shaking his head.

"Well, Sona, you can cheat all you want to, but in the end, it won't make a bit of a difference," Rias smirked. "You want a magic show? I've got a few tricks myself," she boasted with a dramatic pose.

"Do your worst, Rias. Do you think I'm afraid of you? Bring it on!" Sona shot back, pointing her racket in an equally dramatic stance.

And so, the high octane tennis battle between Gremory and Sitri raged on throughout the afternoon, until…

* * *

"It's too bad. With the rackets destroyed we had no choice but to end it there," Rias frowned, looking at the broken racket in her hand. She gave a sigh as she carelessly dropped it.

"But you won, didn't you?" Ibara asked, tilting her head.

Nearby, Momo, Ochako, and Kyoka were being given the play-by-back of the match by Izuku. Kyoka especially seemed disappointed, though Momo suspected she was disappointed to not see Rias in a tennis outfit.

After the match, the Occult Research Club returned to the clubroom to plan out what to do next. The sun had already set and the candles lit up the room. "I may have won, but only by a technicality. But I guess I shouldn't look at a gift horse in the mouth now, can I? We'll head out for the Forest of Familiars tomorrow."

"So uh, what is the Forest of Familiars?" Izuku asked.

"The Forest of Familiars is a where new devils can find a familiar for themselves," Rias told him. "The main problem is that it only appears during the night of the full moon and only one devil peerage can go there at a time. That's what the contest was about."

* * *

The next day, Rias conjured one of her magic circles, the club room was filled with gentle white light rather than the usual warm red. All devils present filed through, leaving the human world behind.

The group of young devils found themselves in a dark forest. The sky was reflective of the underworld's bizarre night cycle, being a bluish-purple than the black of the human world. As a result, their surroundings were more purple shadow than anything else, though it didn't matter to them as devils possessed above normal night-vision.

At some unspoken signal, Rias, Koneko, and Kiba summoned their familiars; the familiars in question nodded to their summoners before scampering off to who knew where. "Where are they going?" Ibara asked.

"It's tradition," Rias explained as Moka simply flew up to the branch above them, where she slept upside down. "While they spend their time with us in the human world, when we return for any time it's expected to let them have time off, so to speak. This is their home after all." Kiba's hawk flew off, while Koneko's white kitten climbed up a tree and disappeared from sight.

"This place sure is spooky," Izuku commented. It kinda looked like the setting to a horror movie.

"AHOY THERE!" An obnoxiously eager voice called from above and behind. The group turned to find a man standing like an over-eager cub scout on a mission, in a hero pose up on one of the lower branches of the trees. "WELCOME TO THE FAMILIAR FOREST!"

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Master Zatouji," Rias inclined her head. "You have my thanks for accommodating us tonight."

"No thanks are necessary!" The familiar master leaped down to land in front of them, thankfully for his sake, he was speaking at a volume that didn't grate any of their ears. "Now, how many familiars we looking for tonight!"

"Two for my new servants."

The man nodded in understanding, "I see. Well then, can I interest you in an adolescent dragon?" The man blurred, and was suddenly next to Izuku, behaving as if the Pawn was a potential familiar. "Good fighting potential, with a Longinus Gear included in the package. Physical condition and performance may be currently pitiful, but with enough time and practice can exceed in all areas. Any takers?"

"Huh?" Izuku and the others stared blankly at the familiar master, somewhat alarmed that he was being described so well, as well as unnerved about apparently being offered like an art piece at an auction. To his dismay, Ibara actually raised her hand. "I'm not a dragon. What gave you that idea?" Izuku muttered.

"He's right," Rias said, glaring at Ibara as she lowered her hand. "Izu-kun is already one of _my_ precious servants, and he may have a dragon-type Sacred Gear, but he's no dragon."

"Really? I could've sworn…" Zatouji shrugged as he looked Izuku over. "Oh well. Now then, what types of familiars are you looking for? A strong type? A fast type? Or a poison type?"

_'__I feel like I've seen this somewhere before…'_ Izuku said to himself. "Uh, I'm not sure. What would you recommend?"

Zatouji smiled at Izuku's question, taking out a catalog from his bag. Flipping through the pages, he stopped and pointed at a drawing of a dragon that took up the whole page. The drawing radiated great ferocity.

"This is what I would recommend! One of the Dragon Kings! Chaos Karma Dragon, Tiamat! She's a legendary dragon, and also the only female among the Dragon Kings! Even now, there hasn't been a devil who has caught her yet! That would be obvious! Since she's said to be as strong as the Four Satans!"

Izuku flinched upon hearing Tiamat's name. For some reason, the name alone filled him with dread. "N-no thanks, I'm good!"

"Then how about a Hydra?"

As Zatouji explained all the abilities of a Hydra in great detail, particularly how it could easily kill its master, Izuku could only watch in silence. _'Am I ever like this?'_

"I just want a familiar that's cute is all," Ibara said, but Zatouji didn't seem to hear.

For about half an hour (which felt like several years), Zatouji led the group through the dimly lit forest, talking about a wide verity of familiars that could easily kill their master. Nothing eventful happened, except for a strange slime that attacked. But the worst it did was… dissolve the girl's clothes, to their embarrassment and the boys shocked. Yuuto, the gentlemen he was, looked away the second the slime was dealt with, while Izuku blushed and covered his face, doing his best to ignore the fact he saw the bare breasts of Rias (again), Ibara and Koneko. Zatouji seemed unfazed by the slime's attack, stating he's seen this sort of thing several times before. He received a punch to the gut by a vengeful Koneko for not warning them.

Once the girls acquired new clothing and Zatouji recovered, the group continued on. Eventually, they happened on a large grass-filled clearing. There, resting on a fallen tree, was a tiny reptilian dragon the size of a kitten. Blue scales, white spikes along its spine, and a triangular head. "It's so cute!" Ibara beamed.

"That is a Sprite Dragon!" said Zatouji.

"Sprite Dragon?" Izuku repeated.

"Yeah, a Sprite Dragon. A baby if I had to guess. Just like its name, it's a dragon which uses blue lightning. If you are going to catch it, now is the time. You would definitely not be able to catch it once it matures. It won't be as strong as a Dragon King, but it's placed in the top-tier normal-class for dragons."

"Well, Izu-kun? What do you think?" Rias asked.

Izuku lowers his head in thought. The fact it was a baby meant that it won't kill him right away. Then he noticed that Ibara was eyeing the little drake. Smiling, Izuku said, "I think we should let Ibara catch it."

Ibara looked generally surprised, then smiled. She looked to Rias with pleading eyes. Rias smiled. "Very well," she nodded.

Slowly, Ibara approached the little drake. The Sprite Dragon woke upon hearing Ibara's approach, but it didn't flee. Rather, it looked at her with curiosity. "Uh, hello," she said hesitantly. "Can you understand me?" The little drake nodded before jumping onto her shoulder. "Does this mean you want to be my familiar?" It answered by rubbing its head against hers.

"Now that ain't something you see every day," Zatouji quipped

* * *

"…In the name of S-Shiozaki I-Ibara, I order you! Y-You shall become my familiar and respond to my contract!"

At the entrance of the forest, Ibara had opened a green magic-circle, the Sprite Dragon sitting in the middle, the contract ceremony between Ibara and the familiar taking place.

Of course, since Ibara is a beginner, Rias is supporting her. But it seems like the ceremony is progressing very well.

"Normally the Sprite Dragon is a dragon who won't pledge to a devil, but it seems that girl has a very pure heart. Something like this has never happened before, but it seems like the contract ceremony will finish safely." Zatouji said.

"Well, she was a Holy Maiden before becoming a devil, so that might have something to do with it," Yuuto noted.

The light from the magic circle starts to gradually lost its light. Because the contract was finished, the baby dragon flew to Ibara and started to play with her.

"Ahaha! That tickles, Raiku."

Izuku blinked. "Raiku?"

Ibara blushed. "Yes. He is a dragon who uses 'Raikō'* and I also used part of your name, Izuku-san. Is that okay?"

"It's alright," Izuku replied, walking up to them. "It's nice to meet you, Raiku-"

Raiku's body started to glow blue…

_*BUZZ! SHOCK!*_

"Agaaaaaaaaaaah, Gggggggggga!"

Izuku, black and smoking from the electric attack, collapsed to the ground, to Ibara's shock. "What happened?" he asked.

"I forgot to mention, but male Sprite Dragons hate males from other races," Zatouji said, also burnt black. Behind him, Yuuto was also charred black, doing his best to put on a refreshing smile.

"What a naughty boy, fufu…" Rias giggled.

"I afraid that time has run out for today," Zatouji shook off the black. "Apologies for not being able to acquire you a familiar as well."

"It's okay," Izuku muttered, getting up. "I can wait."

"Are you sure?" Rias asked. "I kinda like the idea of you having a Dragon King as a familiar…"

"Buchou, please, just don't."

* * *

Two-Thousand kilometers away in the human world, a lone figure scanned the damaged building she was in. All around her, glass cases were either broken or melted, their contents missing. A couple of cases were still intact, but the items within were missing too. The only things that were left were simple decor and a silver coffin that was chained and bolted to the floor.

"How in the world did this happen?" she said to herself. "There was no sign of any forced entry, and Zelma…" she stopped, taking a moment to mourn the loss of the Sanctum's master.

She walked over to one of the broken cases, noting a small amount of liquid inside. She then noticed something: a single, small strand of black hair.

She smiled. "Not much of a lead, but it is one." Taking the hair in hand, she walked over to one of the few intact pieces on the entire floor: a world map. Making several gestures with her hands, she created a magic circle with fiery energy. She placed the hair in the circle. Sparks from the circle rain down all over the map, but they all mostly disappeared. Except for one that landed on Japan. "Hm. Looks like I'm going home."

**A/N:**  
**Alright, the first chapter of the second arc is done! So yeah, no Familiar for Izuku yet but don't worry, he'll get one soon enough. And for those of you wondering about that chick at the end of the chapter who was investigating that Sanctum with the silver coffin, she'll become relevant this arc while the coffin, well, you'll see. *wink***

*** Raikō is a Japanese word for 'lightning'. In the DxD light novels, Asia named her familiar "Rassei" by combining Raigeki (Japanese for 'lightning strike') with Issei's name. So I decided to do something similar.**


	8. New Devil

It's now early November. About two months have passed since Izuku and Ibara became devils. Both have been training hard for the U.A. Entrance Exam, which was now a little over three months away. "Come on, Izu-kun, you can do it!" Rias cheered from behind him.

Izuku nervously gulped as he looked down from the top of the building he was on. Rias had gone and asked permission for them to use one of U.A.'s training fields for the day. The building he was on wasn't the tallest, only about 10 stories, but that didn't mean he wasn't nervous. Hell, up until about a week ago, he wouldn't dare look down from the patio of his apartment.

Now? Rias was about to make him jump _off_ a taller building to practice with his Dragon Force ability. He already was able to maintain that state for a few hours, now he just needed to learn how to fly with the wings it granted him. So, she had him practice by jumping off some trees at the club building. While he now has better control over his wings, he was still having trouble flying with them. Which is why they came here.

Having already summoned his Boosted Gear and activated Dragon Force, Izuku felt dizzy at seeing the empty cars on the ground, which resemble toys from his current perspective. "Uh… Is this really necessary?"

"It's how I learned," Rias calmly walked towards the building's edge, unfolding her wings. "Just follow me." She practically floated off the building, hovering in the air a couple of meters from the edge.

Izuku watch in slight awe at how graceful Rias was in the air. Though his awe soon turned into embarrassment, his head burning up when the wind fluttered her skirt up, revealing her black lace panties for just the briefest moment.

Rias, not at all embarrassed, smiled at him. "You're turn."

Izuku shook off his embarrassment, suddenly remembering what he as about to do.

"Don't worry. I'll catch you if you fall," she reassured.

Izuku had the distinct feeling that she wasn't being that honest with him about that.

_'No time like the present, Izuku.'_ He gulped and slowly walked towards the edge. A million thoughts were whirling through his head at once. _'Oh man, I'm going to have to do this again eventually. And when did the wind get this strong!?'_

It was a massive drop alright. The familiar feeling of vertigo set in and the ground got further and further away. Looking back up at Rias, Izuku saw that she was still smiling, no doubt expecting him to jump off the edge at any moment.

_'If I mess up here and Rias can't catch me in time…!'_

The image of him becoming chunky salsa on the pavement flashed before his eyes. What was he thinking? This was too much. He couldn't do this… He… He…

[Just relax brat. And have faith.]

Izuku nearly shrieked upon hearing the voice. _'Who was that?'_

Izuku didn't get his answer. Instead, the words 'have faith' echoed in his head. Those words reminded him that Heroes could be scared like anyone else, but they still kept going.

Izuku took a deep breath and spread his wings. Once he did, he felt his confidence returning with every passing second._ 'This is just the first step of many. Besides, Kacchan did once told me to jump off a building. Might as well listen to him for once.'_

Izuku glanced at the miniature city below before gazing up at the skyline, gilded by the setting sun. His wings twitch in anticipation.

_'Just have faith.'_

Izuku leaped into the open air.

He allowed his body to flip as his feet left the platform. For a second, time seemed to slow and the world went silent. For a brief moment, Izuku didn't feel like he was plummeting to the ground.

He was rising.

Then reality set in and Izuku began to fall.

Well, not falling, more like gliding. When he began to flap his wings, he rose somewhat in the air and speed up.

He pulled up, rocketing upwards a second later, sailing past several glass-covered floors. He began to circle around Rias, uncaring of the wind now.

Rias watched in a mix of pride and amusement. The grin spreading across Izuku's face could rival All Might's in her opinion.

Izuku himself felt so happy with the wind nipping at his face, the crisp, cool air seeping into his lungs, and the sun shining brightly in the distance. It all just felt… natural.

"WOOOHOOOO!" He cried out.

Rias giggled, following after he servant in his glee. Reaching out, Rias took hold of his hand. Izuku shrieked when she did so, but relaxed when he realized it was Rias. The two smiled at each other, uncaring of the world, as they continued to fly over the faux city.

After what felt like hours the steered themselves back towards rooftop where they started. Rias landed first, gracefully doing so without much effort. Izuku's landing… wasn't as graceful. When his feet hit the floor he collapsed, landing face first on the floor.

"Ow…" Izuku groaned, taking calming breaths. _'I need to work on my landings. But that sure was amazing…'_

"You okay?" Rias asked, helping him up.

"Y-Yeah," Izuku took her hand and shakily got to his feet, the adrenaline running its course. "That was… Wow…"

Rias giggled. "It's always an experience, your first time."

His brain was too busy replaying the stunt he just pulled for him to comprehend what Rias said. It was electrifying and terrifying, horrible and wonderful all at the same time. It was so tempting to run back up and do it all over again. Being able to fly was simply so amazing.

As it grew dark the two left for home. The goofy smile on Izuku's face nerve left as he walked home. It was only when he entered the apartment that it gave way to a giant blush, finally realizing how long he and Rias were holding hands when they flew.

* * *

That night, Izuku and Ibara were having dinner with Inko, listening to the news as they enjoyed katsudon, Izuku's favorite, to celebrate what he did earlier today. As they continued to eat, Ibara's and Izuku's phones began ringing. "What is it?" Inko asked.

"It's some of our friends," Ibara answered.

_Jiro: Yo! We're done!_

Izuku gaped at what Kyoka had sent.

_Midoriya: Really?! Already?_

_Buchou: There's no way._

That was Rias.

_Yaoyorozu: Yes. Come see for yourself._

_Uraraka: Come to the beach tomorrow? I'm in!_

Ochako suddenly jumped into the conversation. Ibara then added.

_Shiozaki: That sounds like a wonderful idea._

_Jiro: Yeah :D! We can even have a beach party!_

_Midoriya: That actually sounds pretty fun, I'm ok with that._

_Buchou: I wouldn't mind ;)_

_Koneko: I'll sit this one out._

Koneko never did like water for some reason.

_Yaoyorozu: Just remember your promise, Rias._

_Buchou: I'll have to see the beach with my own eyes first before that, Momo._

_Jiro: Well, goodnight everyone. See you tomorrow._

_Midoriya: Yeah. Good night guys. See you all tomorrow._

Ending the conversation, Izuku and Ibara put away their phones, continuing dinner.

* * *

"Be careful, and don't forget to text me when you get there," Inko told her son and Ibara as they were about to leave the apartment. It was an unusually warm today, making it perfect to go to the beach.

"We will," Izuku responded as he held a duffle bag that had his clothes and some sunscreen. He was wearing a light yellow t-shirt and dark green swim trunks. "Besides, we're just going to the beach with some friends, there's no need to worry."

"I know," Inko said quietly, smiling a bit. "I'm just so happy that you made some friends." Happy couldn't even begin to describe how she was feeling about Izuku becoming more social and getting more friends. "Ibara-chan, be sure to take care of him."

"I will, Inko oba-san," Ibara said, wavering a white one-piece swimsuit with semi-vertical green stripes.

Inko giggled a bit. She couldn't be happier with how things were going for her son now. Ever since he discovered his Quirk, Izuku has been working hard both physically and academically. And the fact that he was meeting new people. She only ever met Rias but was glad that Izuku had meet Yuuto, Koneko, Kyoka, Momo, and Ochako. She was happy he was making new friends. Mostly girls as well. If she didn't know better, she would've thought Izuku was building a harem.

"Have fun you two! I'll be sure to have dinner done when you come back!" Inko waved goodbye as Izuku and Ibara left out the door.

When they arrived at the beach, they saw that it was complexity clean. Not a single trace of garbage anywhere. "Oh wow," Izuku gasped.

"It looks so pretty!" Ibara said as she looked through the beach.

"They really did a good job," Izuku noted.

"I'll say!" Looking behind them, Ibara and Izuku saw Ochako, wearing a bright pink bikini and a short blue wrap. Izuku blushed upon seeing Ochako, getting a jealous glare from Ibara.

Ochako giggled at Izuku's reaction. "Are we the only ones here?"

"Uh, y-yeah. I-It l-looks l-l-like it." Izuku stuttered.

The three began to settle on the white sand, placing down towels and putting on sunscreen. Once they had finished, Ibara and Ochako began to chat while Izuku sat down, waiting for their friends to show up.

The distinct sound of rock music meant they didn't have to wait long. "Sorry we're late. Momo couldn't find a good swimsuit." Kyoka called out, wearing a yellow bikini with a black choker. She was carrying a radio, playing American rock music. Behind her was Momo, dragging a cooler and wearing a red string bikini with black highlights, which highlighted her rather mature body.

Once again, Izuku blushed upon seeing them. "I-i-it's f-f-fine!" he stuttered, trying his best to ignore Momo's smooth, hourglass figure. It didn't help that her breasts were nearly the same size as Rias', if not a little bigger.

"You guys did an amazing job!" Ochako beamed, either oblivious or uncaring of Izuku's plight. "I barely recognized this place."

"Thanks, but Momo did most of it," Kyoka said. "I just helped."

"You did plenty, Kyoka," Momo said. "So, where's Rias-san?"

"She and Kiba-san said they would be late," Ibara answered. "They should be here soon."

Right on cue…

"Hey, guys!" The friendly voice of Yuuto called. He was wearing a white t-shirt and dark blue swim trunks.

"Kiba-san, hello," Izuku greeted.

"Nice of you to make it, pretty boy," said Kyoka.

"Where's Rias-san?" Momo asked.

Yuuto looked around awkwardly before giving Izuku a concerned look. "She's coming. Just… brace yourself."

"What do you mean?" Izuku asked, confused by Yuuto's statement.

"Sorry for being late."

Izuku and the girls heard the familiar voice of Rias and turned… where Izuku and Kyoka went lava red. Heading towards them was Rias, wearing a very… revealing swimsuit. Both pieces were hot pink with darker highlights. She also had a small bag over her right shoulder and wore sunglasses.

"W-w-w-whoa." Kyoka muttered as her head turned dark red while steam escaped out of Izuku's ears.

Rias, upon seeing Izuku and Kyoka's reactions, smirked and struck a bit of a pose. "Like what you see?" She said, causing Izuku to release steam through his whole body and Kyoka to have a small stream of blood to come out of her nose.

"Buchou! Stop!" Ibara yelled, placing her hands over Izuku's eyes.

Rias giggled at Ibara's protectiveness. "Oh, Ibara. I was just teasing. Izu-kun's reactions are so cute that I can't help myself." Rias looked throughout the beach, seeing nothing but clean sand and crystal blue water. "You two really did it."

Yuuto looked impressed too. "Wow, you and Yaoyorozu-san seriously did all this?"

"Yeah, it wasn't easy… at all." Kyoka said remembering the experience entirely. Honestly, she couldn't recall a single day where they weren't sore and/or aching from head to toe.

"I can tell," Ochako poked Kyoka in the arm. "You and Yaoyorozu-san don't look like it, but you're both buffed."

Momo smiled proudly, "Thanks. So, does that mean…?"

Rias nodded. "We'll do the reincarnation later. Right now, let's enjoy the beach!"

"HAI!"

And so the group spent part of the day having fun at the beach. They didn't swim much though since the water was a little too cold. By the time afternoon rolled around, the group were picking up their things. Rias had brought her Evil Pieces, so there was no reason to delay the reincarnation in Momo's eyes. She was a _little_ excited about becoming a devil, to Ibara, Izuku, and Ochako's… surprise.

"Now then, before we can begin, mind explaining your Quirk?" Rias asked.

"Why yes," a Russian matryoshka doll that had some resemblance to her grew out of Momo's hand. "My Quirk is Creation. I can use my lipids to create any nonliving thing I can imagine, so long as I know its molecular and chemical makeup. But I also have another Quirk," he hand was soon surrounded by sparks of electricity. "I can generate and control lightning."

Ochako, with wide eyes, gasped. "…Wow."

"So cool!" Izuku gasped.

Rias nodded. "I can tell that you're very powerful, even if you exaggerated a few details," Momo and Kyoka notably flinched. Reaching into her bag, Rias pulled out a red chest piece. "I say you're most suited as a Queen," she handed the piece to Momo, who graciously accepted it. Momo was then enveloped by a bright crimson glow. Once it died down, two devil wings appeared from her back.

"Whoa! They look good on you, Momo," Kyoka stated.

Momo seemed almost transfixed on her wings, to the point she didn't notice Kyoka's compliment. She snapped out of it when Rias spoke up. "What about you, Kyoka-chan? Interested in becoming a devil?"

"I think I'll pass for now," Kyoka replied. "I'll let you guys know if I change my mind."

"Very well," Rias nodded. The redhead then looked to Ochako. "What about you, Uraraka-san? Interested in becoming my servant?"

"Uh… I'll think about it?" Ochako replied, not really sure how else to answer.

"All right, then let's head over to the club room, Momo-chan. We'll discuss the full details about your abilities there."

"Yes, Buchou."

* * *

Later that night, Rias received an urgent message from one of the rulers of the Underworld, reporting that a stray devil had found refuge somewhere in her territory. She had called up everyone in her group to take care of the task at once. The group of young devils teleported in front of an abandoned manor on the outskirts of town. It was old, really old. Mold was covering the walls, windows were shattered, and paint was peeling off. Clearly, it hadn't been taken care for years, and it was the perfect place for a stray devil to call home. This particular stray devil had been hiding out for several weeks and lured unsuspecting humans to feast on.

"Izu, Ibara, Momo, since this is your first-time stray devil hunting I need the three of you to observe carefully," Rias instructed as they entered the manor. "Watch how your senpai deals with the stray devil. We don't know how much power it's gained over this time so extra caution is needed."

"Right. Lead the way," Izuku nodded. Ibara, who only had the time to learn a couple of defensive spells, stuck close to Izuku.

Rias nodded before she looked to her Rook. "Koneko, if you would be so kind?"

The small girl nodded mutely before stepping forward to the building and opened the door. Well, it be more accurate to say she knocked the door down with one punch.

As the Gremory group moved inside Momo spoke up. "Stray devils are devils who've gone rogue, correct?" Momo asked, sticking close to Rias, being the most recent and inexperience. "How come?"

"Devils, like everyone else, are all different," Rias explained, the group walking through a large living room with various broken furniture and equipment scattered about. "Therefore their reasons for turning rogue vary. Regardless, devils still do need to survive like humans do and should they go drunk with power they often turn to humans for sustenance. This is bad for us in two ways; senseless loss of life and risking exposure of the supernatural."

Koneko, who was walking in front, suddenly came to a stop as something came into her nostrils. She sniffed the air quickly and narrowed her eyes. "It's here." At Koneko's words, everyone tensed and began smelling the strong scent of blood mixing into the air that was already filled with the stench of the rotting manor. They were also alerted by the presence of something very iniquitous waiting for them. Large footsteps thundered in the room.

A soft, yet deranged voice then spoke up. "I can smell something disgusting. But I can also smell something delicious. Is it sweet? Or is it sour?"

"Stray Devil Viser," Rias declared, hands on her hips, "You have abandoned your master, allowed your powers to corrupt you and committed atrocities in the human world. These crimes cannot be overlooked. By order of the Duke of Gremory, surrender or be destroyed!"

Viser laughed and continued to do so as something landed next to the group with a thunk. It was the body of a young woman, at least what's left of it. Only the head and upper torso remain, everything from the elbows down was gone.

"W-what the…?!" Momo gaged, placing a hand over her mouth to keep herself from throwing up. Ibara and Izuku fared somewhat better, after witnessing Freed's handiwork, though they too were still having a hard time to not throw up.

"My, my," purred Viser as she stepped into view. The upper body of a woman moved towards them from the shadows. Topless, the she-devil was floating well above them, her lower body still hidden in the darkness. In her hands were two spears, fresh blood dripping from them. "You sure do talk big, little girl. How about I dye this room blood red just like your hair?"

_'__Why is she naked?!'_ Izuku, Ibara, and Momo all thought, Ibara covering Izuku's eyes as they collectively blushed.

And that's when she showed the rest of her body from the darkness and it was nowhere near as beautiful. From her hips downwards she had the body of a lion, with the front legs ending in claw-like hands and a snake-like tail. Her upper body was the epitome of beauty and lust, but she was clearly a hideous monster.

Momo, Ibara, and Izuku bulged their eyes at the horrific sight. This woman was truly twisted, both inside and out. Yuuto, who took note of their faces, chuckled lightly, "This is what happens to a devil whenever they go out of control. Their bodies and minds get twisted and ugly."

"Twisted is right…" Izuku muttered, no longer blushing at the fact Viser was naked.

"Relax, this should be easy," Rias reassured him. "Yuuto," it was both an acknowledgment and an order simultaneously. With a nod, Yuuto blurred out of existence.

Momo gaped in shock. "Wha… Where did he-"

Yuuto reappeared in midair and, with two blades in his hands, dashed through Viser. The she-devil's arms were cut off with ease, blood spewed out violently, causing her to scream and thrash both in pain and outrage.

"He's fast," Momo said.

"Momo, do you remember that explanation about Evil Pieces I told you about earlier?" Rias asked.

Momo nodded. "Yes. As your Knight, Kiba-san has unparalleled speed. Combine that with his mastery over bladed weapons and he becomes a skilled warrior, most capable in delivering precise, surgical strikes."

"Correct," as Rias said this, the two forelegs of Vizer's beast half were neatly cut at the knees as Kiba reappeared before her, silver longsword clenched in his right hand. Vizer stumbled before rearing up on her hind legs. She tottered unsteadily before rushing forward as to stomp on him. Before she could, Koneko rushed forward. Lifting both hands above her as if to ward off the blow, the little girl easily halted Vizer's advance.

"In contrast, Koneko is a Rook. Her traits include both high defensive capability and absolute strength. Because of that, she can shrug off the greatest of blows and then return them with equal force."

Koneko then pushed upwards, forcing the beast further back.

"…Fly."

She then jumped up and delivered an earth-shattering punch to the beastly stomach of the stray's lower half. With a bang, Vizer was sent flying back into a wall, causing dust to start falling from the ceiling.

"Shiozaki-san is your Bishop, who have enhance magical abilities," Momo continued. "Midoriya-san is your Pawn, who can promote himself to any other piece except for King when in enemy territory."

"And last but not least there's you, my Queen," Rias said. "As Queen, you are the strongest out of all the Evil Pieces and have the traits of the Rook, Knight, and Bishop all combined." Rias then stepped aside. "Would any of you care to have a shot?"

The three newest members all looked to Viser, who seemed to be on the verge of throwing up. "I'm not sure I have it in me," Ibara admitted.

"Me either," said Izuku.

Rias then looked to Momo. The Queen sighed. "I'll give it a shot." With a flick of her wrist, she summoned a bolt of lightning to strike down onto Visor. The stray devil screeched in pain as the lightning scorched her body and burnt her flesh.

Momo suddenly blushed for some reason. "Is everything okay, Yaoyorozu-san?" Izuku asked.

"Uh I'm fine," Momo lied, not wanting to admit that she liked hearing Viser's screams. She didn't understand why but it… turned her on.

Rias walked over to the stray devil and stood before her, seeing the burns, cuts, and bruises covering her body. "Any last words?"

Visor slowly looked up at Rias with a glare, "Just… get it over with…"

Rias' eyes turned red as red and black mist engulfed her hands, "Ashes to ashes…" she shot out a stream of pure destruction, engulfing the stray devil on the spot. The blast quickly vanished, and all that remained of Visor was a trench of black soot. "…And dust to dust." The limbs that Yuuto hacked early also disappeared, melting away into icky black goo.

"Wow, so this is how devils do business," Ibara whispered in awe. Izuku couldn't help but nod in agreement. The things devils have to deal with to keep things from going out of control was really nothing to scoff out.

"That's all for tonight. Good work everyone," Rias smiled, clapping her hands together. "You may all go home for the evening."

"Hai, Buchou!" everyone answered. A magic circle appeared underneath the group before teleporting all of them out of the room and disappearing.

**AN:**

**EDIT: Did a minor change to when Momo's explaining her powers.**

**EDIT 2: ****Did an overhaul on the first part of the chapter. It was originally a modified scene from Amazing Fantasy, but after a bit of prodding from Kishou on Ao3 I changed it... finally.**


	9. The Kaika Hero

The next day, Ochako had asked Izuku to help her study for the written portion of the U.A. entrance exam. "Thanks again for coming," Ochako said as she led Izuku through the neighborhood she lives in. "But did you have to come with, Shiozaki-chan?"

Ibara, who was walking right behind Izuku, replied, "I need some help with the written portion as well." _'Besides, I don't like the idea of Izuku-san spending time with another girl alone.'_ She mentally added.

Soon they arrived at a rather modest apartment building, seemingly smaller than the apartments where Izuku and Ibara lived at. "This is where you live?" Izuku asked, rather surprised.

"Yeah. A friend of my dad is the landlord and he lets me stay here," Ochako said as they reached her apartment. "It's really cheap, so I don't have to worry too much about rent."

Ochako placed a key into her doors lock and turned.

"Huh?"

"Is something wrong, Uraraka-san?" Izuku asked.

"It's not locked."

They suddenly felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end, sensing something was off. "What's this weird feeling?" Ibara silently said as Ochako opened the door-

"OCHAKO!"

"KYA!" "EEK!" "GAH!"

The three clung to each other as soon as they heard the shouts and saw what appeared to be a couple of crazy individuals rushing over to them from within the apartment. A moment later the unexpected newcomers stopped right in front of them, and as soon as the three of them calmed down, Ochako immediately noticed how familiar the pair looked. Recognizing the duo, she immediately gasped in pleasant surprise.

"Mom! Dad!" Ochako exclaimed. "What are you doing here?!"

"We came to check up on you," her mother answered.

"B-but what about work? Did you come on the bullet train? When? How!? I can't believe you're here!" Ochako ran and hugged her parents, who happily returned it.

"These are your parents, Uraraka-san?" Ibara asked.

"Yep! Did you guys really come all the way here just to check up on me?"

"Well, that, but I have my own reasons," the three teens looked into the apartment at the source of the new voice. It was a young woman, dressed in a light-blue haori with white snowflakes and red-orange hakama over a light blue kimono, with a white tasuki. She's also wearing a long, white scarf with a light-blue snowflake pattern around her neck. Her dark green eyes contrasted with her light-pink hair, which is tied in a long ponytail, reaching all the way down to below her waist, an orange ribbon keeping it in place. On the right side of her hips was a what looked like a katana, it's silver guard shaped like a snowflake and its sheath was a dark blue.

_'__She looks familiar,'_ Izuku noted.

Ochako recognized her right away, her face beaming with excitement as her smile widened. "Mizu-oneechan!" with the excitement of a little girl on Christmas Morning, Ochako ran up and hugged the woman.

"Aha! You've gotten so big, Chako!" Mizu happily returned the hug. "I almost didn't recognize you."

"Excuse me, but Uraraka-san, who is this?" Ibara asked.

"This is my old babysitter," Ochako said, letting go of the older girl.

Mizu gave a light bow to the two devils. "Allow me to introduce myself: I'm Mizushima Akari, formerly the Pro Hero Ryūtō."

Izuku gasped, finally recognizing her. "I've heard about you! The Kaika Hero: Ryūtō! You were the youngest Pro Hero to start their agency in history at 19, second only to Hawks!"

Mizu giggled, "Yeah, I was. But then… certain things happen," Mizu grew somewhat nervous. "But enough about me, who are your new friends?"

"Oh, I'm M-Midoriya Izuku."

"I'm Shiozaki Ibara. A pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is ours, dear," Mrs. Uraraka said.

Mizu smiled, "You guys sure are friendly for devils," she said.

"Huh?" Ibara, Izuku, and Ochako exclaimed. _'How does she know?!'_

"Guess you were right, Mizu," Mr. Uraraka gave a hearty laugh after seeing their reactions.

"Huh? Huh?" _'They know?!'_

"I gotta admit, Chako, when I heard you made friends with the Gremory Princess, I was rather shocked."

"Huh? Huh? Huh?"

"Why don't we head in?" Mizu suggested. "I'm sure you have questions. As do I."

* * *

"I'm a witch?!" Ochako exclaimed. She, Ibara, Izuku, her family, and Mizu were in the kitchen, sitting at the chabudai, enjoying some sandwiches and tea. At least they were before Ochako's mother told her that bombshell.

"To put it more accurately, you're half-witch. But yes," Mrs. Uraraka said as she sipped some tea.

"I… But… HOW!?"

"Try to take it slow, Chako," Mizu finished her tea. A split second later, the cup refilled itself. "It was a bit much for me too, but you have the advantage of having a devil for a boyfriend."

The silence that settled over the apartment was nearly complete, except for Ochako and Ibara choking on their food.

"WHAT?" the three teens cried in unison.

"W-what g-g-gave you t-that i-idea!?" Izuku stuttered.

"Well, you did come here with Chako," Mizu stated. "Guess I just assumed-"

"IT'S FINE," yelped Ochako, face turning beet red. "We're not- really, I'm- it's totally fine that- really, we're just FRIENDS, I-"

"They're not- He's not- I-!" Ibara was unable to form a coherent response.

Mizu smiled, enjoying their reactions._ 'Oh, so that's how it is?'_ Deciding to change the subject, Mizu added, "Anyway, you are a witch, Chako. You just haven't learned how to tap into your own natural magic yet."

"But why tell me this now?" Ochako asked, having calmed down somewhat.

"You never really ended to know," Mr. Uraraka replied. "Your mother left her old group a couple of years before we meet, and she wanted to make sure you didn't feel any different from everyone else."

"…I'm not gonna start riding a flying broomstick, am I?"

"No, that's more of a stylistic choice than anything really, though still a fairly popular one," Mrs. Uraraka said.

Uraraka looked down, staring at the tea she hasn't touched yet. "Why tell me this now, then?"

"It's like I said: You now know about the existence of the supernatural thanks to your friends here," Mizu gestured to Ibara and Izuku. "It was only a matter of time before you leaned about your heritage, especially since you've made friends with the Devil King's little sister."

"Wait, hold on. Buchou has siblings?" Izuku asked.

"She didn't tell you?" Mizu asked. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised. From what I hear, Lucifer and the other Satans are a little… quirky. She probably didn't want to cause you or him any trouble."

"Anyway, is the reason why you came back just to tell me about my heritage?" Ochako asked.

"Not exactly," Mizu said. "I have other reasons for coming back. Which reminds me… Can you two give this to Rias Gremory for me?" She reached into her robe and pulled out a letter with four slashing curves arranged differently for a seal.

"Uh, sure," Izuku took the letter. "Can I ask why?"

"I just want to meet with her and the other high-class devils in the city."

"We should probably leave then," Ibara and Izuku stood up. "I was a pleasure to meet you."

* * *

That night, after Ochako's parents left for home, Ochako began making dinner, which consisted of two microwave cups of ramen and green tea. "Man, I missed cup ramen!" Mizu giddily slurped up the ramen. "And green tea is so much better than that stupid yak butter tea."

"Uh, yeah," Ochako nodded as she continued to eat. "So, how exactly did you become a wizard?"

"Sorcerer," Mizu corrected. "And it's a bit of a long story. Remember when you and your parents visited me at the hospital?"

Ochako nodded. "I remember the look you had in your eyes the most. You looked so… crushed…"

Mizu stopped eating for a moment, her head hung low. "My entire world came crashing down after what happened. But then your mother told me to head to Katmandu, find a place called Domagoj. She said that if they were willing to give me a chance they could help me walk again. So, using up what money I had, I went to Katmandu, where I meet the Doc."

"Doc?"

"Yeah," Mizu finished her cup ramen. "I had to beg him to let me into Domagoj. When they did, he… Okay, I was a little skeptical. He showed me things you'd find at any gift shop, like chakra graphs or incense and even a book about acupuncture. I was seriously close to burning his face off, when he, kinda… pushed my soul out of my body."

"He what?"

"I know, it was a total shock. Then he sent my soul through some dimensions… It honestly felt like some kind of drug and alcohol induced hallucination. I even asked if they put something in that tea they gave me… It was just yak butter with honey, blah! Anyway, I began studying magic and training under the Doc, who taught me how to do things like this," she moved her fingers up and down in a circular motion, a dazzling orange energy sprouting from her fingertips and opening up in a rift… which Mizu calmly reached into, pulling out a bunch of bananas.

Ochako stared wide-eyed at the display. "That's awesome…"

"It took me about a year before I could walk again, and another to relearn how to run. Once I did I was taught some old school martial arts like karate and judo. He even gave me this," she gestured to her swords, "the Yukinoha, the Blade of Infinite Winters."

"Why's it called that?"

Suddenly the sword unsheathed itself, the temperature of the room suddenly dropping as it did so. Ochako began to shiver, staring at the sword in fear.

"It's alive?!"

Mizu grabbed hold of the swords handle, "Yeah, it's technically a living thing, one with a fiery temper, ironically." Mizu forcibly re-sheathed the blade. "Down girl."

"…So, am I gonna get something like that?"

"Maybe," Mizu was tapping the tip of Yukinoha's handle, having a look that made her resemble a mother scolding her child. "You first need to learn basic magic, like telekinesis and portal creation, but I'm willing to let you keep one of the relics when we recover them."

Ochako beamed at that. "Okay, so where do we start?"

* * *

The next day, Izuku and Ibara headed toward the clubroom after school like normal. Usually, it was to either train or do jobs, but today was slightly different. After giving Rias the letter, she seemed to freak out a little upon seeing the seal. After reading the letter, she asked him and the others to arrive early today, saying that some friends of hers will be attending the meeting today with Mizu. "What do you think that letter said?" He asked her once they reached U.A.'s campus.

"I'm not sure," Ibara replied. "It must be serious if Buchou-san is meeting with Mizu-san."

"Hey, you! With the freckles!"

A playful voice made Izuku and Ibara turn around. "Uh, yes?" he asked since he was the only one of the two with freckles. The person who called him was a girl around a year older than him. She wore the standard uniform for U.A. Academy with black thigh-high stockings with garters and black boots. She was rather tall, about 170 cm. She had a very cute face with red-violet eyes and pale blue-silver hair with a cowlick sticking out at the top. She was also wearing a pair of blood ruby earrings. Her skin was in a light cream colored tone, and her figure was curvy and very luscious to look at.

"Uh, who are you?" Izuku asked, a light blush on his face.

The dark-haired girl gave a small snicker as she gave a small two-fingered salute with a wink, "Kudelia Dantarion, second-year general studies student and president of the Newspaper Club, at your service."

"Is there something you want from us?" Ibara asked her.

"No. I just came to see you. Well, him specifically," Kudelia replied.

"Me?"

"Yeah, yeah. I was really hoping to see the person that Rias has her eyes on," she said, her eyes moving up and down on his body. "She's a nice girl but catching her attention isn't very easy, ya know."

"I b-bet," Izuku said. "I mean, it's actually kinda surreal for me too."

"After that, I wanted to take the opportunity to sample some delicious-looking young boys…" Kudelia quickly said, licking her lips as she suddenly went into a daze. She blinked as she suddenly remembered who she was talking to. "Wait, maybe I shouldn't put it like that? Ignore what I just said."

"H-hai…" Izuku nervously nodded slowly.

Ibara, however, glared daggers at Kudelia.

"Hehehe! But seriously, I like you, kid! I can see why Rias is so taken by you!" Kudelia laughed. "You're cute but you've got something that a lot of people would love to have!"

"You're… talking like you and Buchou have known each other for a long time," Izuku said. "Not to sound insulting, but…"

"Hm, yeah," Kudelia answered, folding her arms behind her head as she turned around to pace a few steps. "Rias has a totally sexy bod and she's got nice tits so not a lot of people know that I'm associated with her." She turned her head to look over her shoulder. "But…"

At that moment, the meter of distance between Izuku and Kudelia vanished.

"Eh-"

Izuku only blinked before he realized that she had gotten so close to him. Kudelia had him pressed against a tree with her arms over his shoulders and gracefully flattened herself against his chest, and was now turning her eyes at him seductively. _'SO CLOSE!'_

Ibara could only gape at what she was seeing. _'TOO CLOSE!' _She internally screamed, jealously raging within her.

"Maybe later tonight, we can both learn about each other," Kudelia smiled, enjoying the growing red on Izuku's face. "How about you come over to the newspaper club so we can-"

"What do you think you're doing, Kudelia?" a stern voice asked from over their heads.

"Wah!" Kudelia jumped comically before turning around. Standing before her was Sona, her arms folded and a look of displeasure on her face. "Holy shit, Sona! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Practice what you preach," Sona retorted, "Hitting on younger boys again I see, and not only that but Rias' Pawn no less. What do you think would happen if she found you were coming on to her Pawn, hm? And you were about to grope him just now, right?"

At that, Izuku quickly placed his hands over his crotch, while Ibara grabbed him by the arm and pulled him toward her in a protective manner.

"Ehehehe," Kudelia giggled as she bopped herself on the head. "I just wanted to see what Rias found so interesting from him."

"Wait, Shitori-senpai. You mean she's…" Izuku asked, clues starting to come together already.

"Yes. Kudelia here is like me and Rias, a devil from high society. She represents the Dantalion Household," Sona explained to them.

Kudelia gave a small bow, "My real name is Kudelia Dantalion. Nice to meet you in person, Pawn and Bishop of Rias Gremory."

Izuku and Ibara blinked, running Kudelia's family name and fake name through their heads. _'Dantarion… Dantalion… There's barely any difference!'_ They sweat-dropped inwardly.

"Anyway, I apologize for disturbing you like this, Midoriya, Shiozaki," Sona said to them ruefully, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I'll take this perv off your hands now."

"Humph! Stiff as a board as always, huh Sona? You really need to learn to loosen up or everyone will just look at you like some kinda sourpuss!" Kudelia scolded childishly, raising her hands as they groped invisible air, "I know, how about a nice relaxing chest massage to cool your jets? They might get bigger too! Squeezy, squeezy~!"

Sona immediately flushed as she covered her chest, "I like my chest the way it is and I get enough of that from my sister!"

"Oh, a little skinship between sisters? That sounds so juicy! Do tell!"

"ENOUGH ALREADY!" Sona yelled, stomping her foot with a blush as Kudelia laughed.

Ibara could only blush at the implications of what Kudelia said, covering Izuku's ears in a vain attempt to keep him from hearing.

Izuku, however, couldn't help but think. How many more students in U.A. were really devils? Did Kudelia have a peerage herself?

"Calm down, Sona. I'm just teasing. No need to drown me," shrugged Kudelia before turning to Izuku. "And one more thing. Me, Rias, and Sona are the only high-class devils at U.A. You don't have to worry about any more popping up."

"Wait, how did know what I was-"

"CUZ I CAN READ MINDS!" Kudelia roared dramatically with arms raised over her head, making Izuku shrink to the ground. "Just screwing with you. It was written all over your face," she smirked, lowering her arms.

"Uh… right," Izuku said, slowly getting back to his feet. If Rias' club was a front for her peerage and Sona's student council was a front for hers, then it was possible that Kudelia's club also acted as a front for her own peerage.

"If you're quite finished, I believe we should be leaving now. See you tonight Midoriya, Shiozaki," Sona said, walking away.

"Catch you later~!" Kudelia waved as she followed Sona.

"…I don't like her," Ibara muttered.

"Uh, Ibara, can you let me go now?"

* * *

In the clubroom, Ochako and Mizu sat on one of the sofas, being served tea by Yuuto. Across from them were Koneko, Izuku, and Ibara. Rias sat at the desk, Momo standing by her side. Night had fallen and they were expecting the Sitri group and the newspaper club to arrive shortly. There was a rapid knock on the door, followed by a cheerful "We're here~!" The room's door opened up, and in stepped Kudelia, followed by a group of girls. "Hey, gang! Thanks for having us!" Kudelia smiled.

"Glad you could come at such short notice, Kudelia," Rias smiled, standing up from her desk.

"The pleasure's all mine Rias," Kudelia greeted back. "And you finally managed to increase your group's numbers a bit," she remarked, looking back and forth at the newest members of Rias' peerage. Her eyes landed on the newest male in particular and waved. "Hey Midoriya, happy to see you again."

"…Um, yeah. Hey, Dantarion-senpai," Izuku nodded, blushing slightly as the vivid memory of her brushing up against him came back.

Ibara just glared at Kudelia.

"Oh, I see you're already acquainted with my Pawn," Rias remarked.

"Miss Kudelia met with your Pawn and Bishop several hours before," the girl next to Kudelia spoke. She was rather tall, about 2 meters, and had a lean build. She was wearing the standard U.A. school uniform for girls. She had long black hair, an orang headband holding back her bangs and her eyes were brown. She had dog tags around her neck, and wore red sneakers. "I would've gone with her to make sure she didn't try anything, but she dumped a bunch of paperwork onto me before I had the chance."

"Oh, hush you," Kudelia retorted. "Anyway, this is Tye Longshadow. She's my Queen. A bit of a stuck-up, but she's also very reliable. And I think you already know another person of my group." As she said this, another step forward. Izuku quickly stood up in surprise, already recognizing her.

"Takamaki-san?" Izuku blinked. It was his classmate from middle school.

"Hello!" the glasses-wearing blunette smiled back at him. "Small world, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Izuku replied. _'Is she the reason Dantarion-senpai knew about me?'_

"Since you already know of my Pawn and Bishop, it should only be fair for you to know of my Queen," Rias said, gesturing at said Queen, "Yaoyorozu Momo."

"Pleased to meet you, senpai," Momo bowed.

"Hmm…" Kudelia analyzed her, rubbing her chin, "You really know where to pick em, Rias. And as a bonus, your Queen has a really hot bod."

"…Huh?" Momo muttered. The smirk the raven-haired King was giving her didn't help.

"Sexual harassment is not allowed, hot-blooded hentai-senpai," Koneko frowned at her direction.

"Ah, as cold as ever Koneko," Kudelia snickered, completely unfazed by the glare. "You really have to learn to smile more. Ah, whatever," Kudelia then noticed Mizu and Ochako. "Who are these two?"

"The reason I've asked for you and Sona," Rias answered. "I'll explain everything once she and her peerage arrive. In the meantime, how about you introduce your peerage to my new members."

"Sure." She looked back over her shoulder at the rest of her peerage behind her. "Alright people, go introduce yourselves to your new juniors."

Milia was the first to step forward. "Hai! Milia Takamaki, Kudelia-sama's Bishop. I'm happy to meet my new juniors today!" she said quickly before bowing.

The next girl stood forward after Milia did a light bow. "Halò. I'm Cammie MacCloud, Kudelia's other Bishop. Nice to meetcha!" She spoke in a Scottish accent. Cammie had long blonde hair, green eyes, and freckles. She is rather petite in stature, and her hair is held up in a ponytail by a device that resembles both a mechanical set of rabbit ears and a hair bow. Her attire consisted of a long-sleeved hooded top in shades of green, black and white, accented by pink details. She's also wearing a pair of black goggles.

The next girl to step forward was a little taller than Momo, about 180 cm, though her bust size was half of that of Momo's. She had long gray hair tied in a sideways ponytail and gray eyes. She also has dark gray glasses. "…Hello. I'm Narukami Yuko, Kudelia-senpai's Knight. A pleasure to meet you." She said politely, though Izuku and the others couldn't help but notice the lack of emotion she seemed to have.

"My name is Alexandra Dumas, Miss Kudelia's other Knight. It's a pleasure." The next girl to step up was tall and curvy, about the same hight as Yuuto. She looked incredibly athletic, yet at the same time had a unique finesse to her. She had long brown hair that went past her shoulders with deep red eyes. She wasn't as endowed as most of the other girls, being slightly bigger than Kyoka. Her light bronze skin showed some Latino heritage. She also spoke with a slight French accent.

"Hey! I'm Jessie James, Miss Kudelia's Rook." The next to introduce herself was slightly taller than Izuku. Her dark-red hair was rather short, only reaching to the tips of her shoulders and her eyes were purple. She wore the girls U.A. uniform, though with a vest instead of a blazer.

"I'm Nishino Nanase, Kudelia-sama's other Rook," the next to introduce themselves was a young girl with light brown hair in pigtails and green eyes. She wore a school uniform that consisted of a white shirt with a tan vest and a light green bow tie, a green miniskirt, and brown small ankle-combat boots with wings attached to them.

"Hi, I'm Celica A. Mercury, Miss Kudelia's Pawn of five pieces. A pleasure to meet you!" This girl had long, auburn hair tied into a ponytail with a red ribbon, pale skin, and bright eyes that are a soft, reddish-brown color. He chest was notably well developed, bigger than Ochako's.

"Ackerman Makoto. Kudelia-sama's Pawn, worth three." The last girl in the group showed even less emotion than Koneko. She had dark hair and gray eyes and wore a light brown hoodie, brown pants, and dark gray combat boots.

"So you got yourself a new Rook and found someone suitable for your Knight. Impressive, you've completed your set," Rias nodded, looking at Nanase and Yuko.

"Well, I do admit that I had a bit of trouble recruiting them, but it was well worth it in the end. I'm not as picky as you or Sona," Kudelia said, sounding a bit smug.

"Quality over quantity, Kudelia," Rias retorted, "You don't need to outnumber your enemies to overwhelm them."

"Since you're the Crimson Haired Princess of Ruin, I'm sure that power is all you care about," Kudelia continued, her smile turning somewhat bitter. Before Rias could reply, there was another knock at the door.

It was the Sitri peerage. With three different devil peerages crammed in one room despite it being large, it was a full house, so some of them had to stand or sit on the floor. It was a good thing that there were some extra chairs around the room just in case.

Once everyone was settled, Rias spoke up. "Thank you for arriving everybody. I know this is sudden but this meeting was done at the request of our guest," she gestured toward Mizu. "This is Mizushima Akari, formerly the Pro Hero Ryūtō, and a representative from Kamar-Taj."

Suddenly, the room grew very quiet. But all of the younger devils were simply confused, in particular, Izuku, Ibara, Momo, and Saji. "Whoa! Are you serious?!" Kudelia asked.

"Uh, can someone explain why you're all freaking out?" Saji asked. "What's Kamar-Taj?"

"We're a group of sorcerers whose mission is to maintain peace across the supernatural world," Mizu answered, standing up. "We're sometimes called the Masters of the Mystic Arts, which is accurate since, thanks to our power and influence, some consider us the fourth faction to the devils, angels, and fallen angels."

_That_ caused the eyes of the young devils to widen. "Seriously?!" Saji gaped.

"Indeed," said Sona. "I've even heard that their leader, the Sorcerer Supreme, is one of the ten most powerful beings in the world. It was partly because of Kamar-Taj that the war between the three factions ended when it did." She then looked to Mizu. "So what brings you here?" Sona asked.

"A few reasons, but I'll start with the most important. About two months ago, several relics were stolen from our Hong Kong Sanctum. I tracked the thieves here, but they covered their tracks too well, which suggests they may be supernatural in nature. I spent the last two months talking to everyone associated with the supernatural, even a few heroes about the theft. Then, a few nights ago, I finally got a lead. Some yokai told me that several black market deals will be happening tomorrow night, with several big names in Japans underworld appearing. So…"

"You need our help looking for the relics at one of these deals?" Rias finished.

Mizu nodded. "There's going to be at least ten different deals, each held at a different location. And the relics could be at any of them. There's no guarantee that I'll find the relics if it's just me. Which is why I'm asking for your help."

The three Kings looked at each other, each of them very worried about what might happen if they stepped in. But the fear of what might happen if they don't step in influenced their decision. "Very well," Rias nodded. "As this city is under my protection, I'll aid you in retrieving these relics. Sona, Kudelia, will you help?"

Sona nodded. "We'll provide whatever aid we can."

"Count me and my group in!" Kudelia said.

The next few minutes were spent planning. It was decided that the three peerages will be split into teams, each staking out a different location. When a deal was taking place, they would observe from a distance. If they see any of the relics, they'll notify the others.

"This is… kinda scary," Ochako admitted. She was currently sitting next to Izuku and Ibara. "Mizu offers me to teach me magic, and that this would be a good first experience… I'm mean, sure, I helped you guys save Shiozaki-chan, but I only made a few of those stray priests float in the air. I'm not sure I can do this…"

"I'm sure you can, Uraraka-san," said Ibara. "You were really brave to help Izuku-san and the others save me."

"Ibara-san's right," Izuku added. "We'll be there for you."

"Thanks, guys." Ochako smiled, scooting moving closer to Izuku, "It's comforting that we'll be on a team together."

"Ahem," the two looked to Ibara, who was sending a subtle glare at Ochako. Both of them looked between themselves to where her eyes were looking. Ochako seemed to have unknowingly grabbed Izuku's hand into hers.

Blushing, Ochako quickly pulled her hand away. "A-anyway, we should get going," she stuttered.

"Ye-Yeah. Let's do that," Izuku stuttered back.

* * *

**NOTES:**  
**Just to make things clear, Mizu will NOT be part of Izuku's harem. I have someone else in mind for her.**


	10. Wardens of the Night

The next night, Izuku, Ibara, Ochako, and Milia waited atop the rooftop of a warehouse, looking down upon the dark alleys below. "How long do you think we'll have to wait?" Ochako asked.

"Hard to say… All we know is that the deal taking place here will happen after midnight," Izuku pointed out. "That was about five minutes ago, so we need to keep an eye out."

And waited they did. Each of them took turns watching the road while the others took quick naps, changing shifts every ten minutes. It was currently Izuku's second turn at watch, the girls playing a game of 'I spy' to pass the time.

Eventually, Ibara walked up to him. "Izuku-san, your turn is over."

"Oh, right. Thanks, Ibara-san," getting up, Izuku walked over toward Milia and Ochako as Ibara took her turn to watch.

"Anything yet?" Milia asked.

"No, just some pigeons," Izuku sat down. "I wonder how everyone else is doing?"

"Hey, uh, Izu-kun?" Ochako spoke up. "Is there anything going on between you and… Shiozaki-san?" She asked, hoping she wasn't blushing as she said it. Izuku, however, did blush a little.

"W-What? M-Me and Ib-Ibara? N-No, th-there's nothing going on between us… Why?"

It was Ochako's turn to blush now, albeit lightly. "No reason!" She exclaimed.

Unnoticed by the two, Milia gave Ochako a jealous stare.

* * *

A middle-age man leaned against a wooden crate near the center of the warehouse and took a drag from his cigarette. He watched as the front entrance opened and three figures walked in. "I was wonderin' when you'd show," he said in a slimy, casual voice. "I didn't know you were bringin' back-up. Should I be worried?" he coyly asked.

"All Might has been hanging out in the city more and more often," a woman wearing a white and black outfit said. "It's dangerous for groups like us to walk out in the streets alone."

He could tell instantly that her words were hollow. _'They aren't for her protection per se,'_ he reasoned. _'She can take care of herself easily. She's just being smart by having people watch her back.'_ He flicked his cigarette into a puddle of muddy water and approached his client.

"That's far enough," a young man wearing a bowler hat with a fringe sticking out from the side warned. The look in his eyes was like a snakes — he was being cautious, but ready for a fight at a moment's notice. "Don't get too close to the boss all casual-like."

"Down, boy," the woman said. "Sorry about Brandon. He… just hasn't had a good fight in a while."

"It's no problem," he assured her. "I can talk from here." His eyes drifted from the eager younger man to the armored man. His armor resembled by medieval European knight armor. It looked to be some kind of carbon fiber titanium mix with yellow glowing lines and a dark raspberry colored cape. "And who's he?"

"Who I am doesn't matter to you," the knight replied, his voice having an electronic tone, likely to disguise it. "What matters is if you have the information we need."

"Alright. Then let's get down to business."

* * *

"That man…" Mizu whispered to herself. She, Yuuto, Koneko, Saji, and Alexandra were peering down from a window on the roof, making sure they were out of sight.

"You know him?" Saji asked.

"If I remember right, he's an underworld broker for support items," Mizu said. "I believe he's called Giran."

"You think he's here for those relics?" Alexandra asked.

"I doubt it. Even if he knew what the relics were, not many would buy them," Mizu stated. "Besides, you heard what they said. This isn't the deal we're looking for. We should leave, but first…" Mizu pulled out her phone and began texting someone.

"What are you doing?" Yuuto asked.

"Just telling an old police friend about a big fish," Mizu smiled as she put the phone away. "Let's get going. Maybe Chako and her boyfriend are having better luck."

"Do you mean Midoriya-senpai?" Koneko asked.

Mizu nodded. "Chako defiantly likes the guy."

"And so does Shiozaki-senpai," Koneko pointed out.

"Are you serious?!" Saji gasped. "Damnit! How the hell is that guy so lucky when all I ever get is a sore ass?!"

"Not being a pervert probably helps," Koneko deadpanned.

* * *

Ochako suddenly sneezed.

"Are you catching a cold, Uraraka-san?" Ibara asked.

"I'm fine," Ochako replied. "I just wish this deal would happen already."

The last two hours and ten minutes were spent with the four teens taking turns keeping watch. "I hope they show up soon," Ibara said. "If Inko-obasan notices that we're gone, she's gonna be so worried."

"Yeah," Izuku nodded.

"I just got a message from Kudelia-sama," said Milia. "The deal she, Gremory-senpai, and Sitri-senpai watched over didn't have any of the relics."

Izuku nodded. "Counting the one Kiba-san and Koneko-chan watched, that's two. Now we just have to wait for our's," Izuku said.

Ochako looked out again and saw several vehicles approaching. "Guys! I think they're here."

They watched in silence as several black vans and a truck approached from the ports while some dark gray commercial humvees led by a dark red humvee approached from the city. They all stopped within feet of each other, their occupants stepping out. The drivers of the vans had old, ragged-looking clothing, while most of the humvee occupants wore black suits and sunglasses.

From the lead humvee, three people strode out. The first was a young man, likely not much older than them. He was shorter than most of them but taller than Ochako. His eyes were grey and he had striking orange hair that frames his face, with a longer section that falls just past his left shoulder. He wore a black hat with a red hatband and a thin silver chain that hangs over the brim.

His outfit consists of a white button-up shirt under a dark red vest, a black choker in the style of a pet collar, a black ribbon bolo tie held together with a small silver buckle, an open black cropped jacket with the sleeves rolled up at the elbows, black slacks, a black belt hanging off his right hip and black low-arch shoes, and black gloves. He also has a long black coat with light-colored lining and lapels with a light red undercoat, wearing it around his shoulders like a cape.

The other two were young woman. One was tall and slender with cherry red eyes and red hair tied into a traditional Japanese bun that is held by three long golden clips and another hair clip on the right side of her head, composed by a light pink furry hair clip and red ribbon which forms a five-petal flower, and violet eyes. Her kimono is pink overlapped by dark purple one with bell flower motifs, tied neatly with a maroon bow which has white borders, and a light pink mantle which goes darker in color from her elbow to her feet. She wore red eye shadow and light pink lipstick. She's also carrying a red Japanese umbrella.

The other had long, raven dark hair, violet eyes, fair skin, and a figure that could rival Rias'. She wore a black sleeveless jacket that has golden trimmings, a light gray-colored undershirt, dark-colored pants, and shoes. Izuku, Ibara, and Ochako recognized her right away.

"Raynare?!"

"You know her?" Milia asked.

Izuku nodded. "Yeah. She tried to kill me because of my Sacred Gear, and she tried to steal Ibara's. We would've been dead if it wasn't for Buchou."

Milia's eyes narrowed. "She tried that?"

As the teens looked over the scene from above, the kimono wearing woman sighed as she pretended not to be aware of their presence. "Raynare, go take care of those spies. Chuuya, I know you're usually not the type to pass up a good fight, but can you do this? I'm going to make sure we don't get any other uninvited guests."

"Sure, Ane-nee," the man called Chuuya sighed. The older woman gave the fallen angel a nod as if to indicate what she intended. Understanding fully, Raynare casually walked behind a pillar alongside the waterfront and disappeared from sight while the kimono woman walked down an alley.

"Where'd she go?" Ochako asked.

"I don't know, but I got a bad feeling I know why," Izuku muttered.

"Show them," Chuuya ordered one of the suits, who was carrying a briefcase. He opens it, showing the smugglers a large amount on Japanese yen.

"Money's here," one smuggler, likely the leader, said to the others.

One nodded and opened the back of a van, carting out several wooden crates. They opened one of the crates, revealing items like staffs, necklaces, and other drinks that looked they belong in a museum.

"You think those are the relics Mizu-san talked about?" Ibara asked.

"What else could they be?" Ochako said.

"We need to tell the others," said Izuku.

"I'll notify Kudelia-sama and the others," Milia said, a small magic circle next to her ear.

"Yes, please do."

The teens all froze. Slowly, they turned around, seeing Raynare, with a wicked smile, standing some feet behind them.

"R-Raynare!" Izuku and Ibara both gasped.

"When Big Sis Kouyou asked me to take care of some spies, I never expected one of them to be you, Welsh Dragon," she formed a spear of light. "I've been looking forward to paying you back. And you even brought Ibara and that one girl too, and some devil friend as well. And here I thought this was gonna be a dull night!"

"Guess we don't have any other choice," Izuku summoned his Boosted Gear, activating Dragon Force.

"Do you have a plan, Midoriya-kun?" Ochako asked.

"Not yet, I'm afraid."

Raynare began to laugh. "Good! Once I'll kill you, your friends and masters will be next!"

"Like hell, we'll let you!" Milia fired off a dark beam of magic.

Raynare caught off guard, could only rain her spear in an attempt to block the attack. The attack shattered her spear, leaving her open to Izuku landing a forward punch into Raynare's chest. The force of the blow sent her skidding several feet back. She started to cough from the blow and little flecks of saliva came up from the force of the blow. Sucking up the hit, she glared at Izuku with an angry look.

"Why the hell are you trying to cop a feel for?!" she snapped, trying to go for head games. "Who do you think you are fondling me anyway?!"

The devils and witch all had different reactions. Izuku began stammering like an idiot trying to apologize. Ibara blushed a furious red. Milia looked almost jealous. And Ochako looked mortified.

"H-hey! Don't accuse Midoriya-san of being a pervert! Besides, those two balls are probably fakes," Milia retorted. _'Oh shit!' _Milia sweat-dropped inwardly, having now realized what she said, _'I think I made a mistake.'_

Ibara and Ochako all began to blush bright red, while Izuku could only stare at Milia in shock.

"Oh, you're gonna get it now kid," Raynare hissed dangerously as two swords of light appeared in her hands, her feminine pride screaming for retribution.

* * *

Having just received Milia's message, Mizu created a portal. "Let's get going!" Mizu yelled. Before anyone could react, an explosion cracked the roof.

"Oh shit!" Saji yelped.

Mizu wasn't able to react in time, the explosion forcing her through the portal as it closed. From below, the armory man jumped up and landed on the roof, Brandon next to it. "Kids?" Brandon blinked. "And here I thought it was a pro hero. How disappointing."

"You're not much older than us, pal," Alexandra shot back.

"Oh, shut it flat chest."

Alexandra's eye twitched. "That's it!" She drew out a rapier.

Brandon smiled and drew a gun that had a long blade attached to the underside of the barrel. "Let's dance!"

"Remember to keep focus, Brandon," the knight warned, a yellow globing shield appearing on his left arm. In his left hand was something that made the devil's skin crawl.

"That's a sword of light!" Yuuto gaped.

* * *

Somewhere else in the city, three figures with a pair of bat-like wings flew through the cityscape, just high enough that they could easily be mistaken for birds.

In reality, they were Rias, Sona, and Kudelia, laying as fast as they could to where Izuku and the others were fighting. "I should've finished that fallen angel off when I had the chance," Rias hissed.

"It's not your fault, Rias," Sona said. "You showed that low ranked fallen angel mercy at the request of your servants. There was always a risk involved."

"And Mizu already went ahead to help," Kudelia added. "We just need to make sure this Raynare doesn't cause any more trouble for us."

Rias nodded. "Right. Hopefully, Izu and the others are all right."

However, as they neared the site, a phantom of some sort, looking like a gold glowing mix between a samurai and a geisha, appears before them.

"A Demon Phantom!?" Rias gasped as the phantom approached, blade ready. She was barely able to avoid the blade, a few strands of her red hair not as lucky. The phantom them went after Kudelia and Sona, eventually forcing the three devil heirs to a rooftop.

"What the hell was that?!" Kudelia demanded.

"That would've been me," the devil heirs turned and saw the phantom had landed next to a woman wearing a pink kimono. "I must say, I never expected devils to appear here tonight."

"Who are you?" Rias demanded.

"I'm Ozaki Kouyou, an Executive of the Port Mafia, and you and your servants are interfering in our business," she said. "Golden Demon! Rid me of these devils!"

**Ozaki Kouyou, Sacred Gear: Golden Demon. A subspecies of Demon Phantom, Golden Demon is an avatar-type Gear that follows the commands of Kouyou.**

* * *

Izuku was hoping left and right, avoiding the swings of the light blades. Having already Promoted himself to Knight, Izuku had to stay on the defensive, as Raynare used her swords of light to attack viciously. Suddenly, Ibara's vines raced down and encircled Raynare, holding one of her arms to her sides. Raynare grunted as she tried to free herself. "You think these can hold me?!"

"No," a voice from above answered. "Just long enough for me to do this."

Above her, Milia was floating with her devil wings, lightning sparking out from her hands. A tower of lightning shined. The shockwave forced Izuku back. Milia shielded herself as the force almost knocked her out of the air.

Raynare, chard from the attack, some of her cloths torn and burnt, glared at the teenage devils. "Damn you!" She tried to move, the Ibara's vines prevented her from doing so.

"Raynare, just stop," Izuku sighed. "This has gone off long enough. Just leave."

"Don't you _dare_ look down on me!" Raynare hissed, concentrated light glowing in her hands, "You can take that pity of yours, and shove it right up your-!"

Suddenly, ice froze over nearly every part of the roof, except for the area Izuku and the others were standing on. Raynare, ice encasing half of her body, could only shiver in shock. "What…?"

"So you're Raynare," stepping out from behind the fallen angel, Mizu walked to her side. "For a fallen angel, you sure aren't that pretty."

Raynare, despite being half-frozen, gave a terse growl.

"Mizu-san!"

"We don't have much time, so I'll make this quick," Mizu stood in front of the half-frozen fallen angel. "I'm sure you know why I'm here," showing Raynare a necklace with the Kamar-Taj symbol. "So tell me what I want to know, and-"

Before Mizu could continue, something slammed into her torso, sending her crashing into an adjacent building. "Mizu-oneechan!" Ochako cried out.

Before anyone else could go check on the sorcerer, a new voice called out. "You just have a knack for finding trouble, huh Raynare?" Chuuya now stood where Mizu was.

"Mister Chuuya!" Raynare gasped. "Why are you here, sir?"

"Well, since most of the items disappeared into portals not long before I saw that gigantic light show, I went to investigate. And what do I find?" The man identified as Chuuya looked at the group, his focus on Izuku. "This fun little scene." He tossed his coat aside, cracking his knuckles.

"Wait, Chuuya sir! That's-"

"Yes, I'm aware of your grudge against the Welsh Dragon," Chuuya began to glow a faint red. "But the Port Mafia's needs come first. You and the grunts get the remaining items and fall back." In a swift move, Chuuya kicked the ice holding Raynare, destroying it while keeping her unharmed. "I'll deal with them."

Raynare nodded. Spreading her wings, she flew off toward where the deal was taking place.

"I don't suppose you have it in your heart to just give up?" Ochako said to the Port Mafia executive.

"No, I don't," Chuuya responded, his eyes betraying an eager look. "I've been having a hard time trying to reign in Raynare's disobeying habit, so I need to let off the steam. And I intend to finish this in a single blow." Charging forward, Chuuya flew with incredible speed at Izuku, who instinctively lifted his Boosted Gear in an attempt to block the hit…

[DON'T LET HIM TOUCH YOU!]

Only to duck at the last second, delivering a kick into Chuuya's gut.

"You call that a kick!?" Chuuya retaliated by grabbing Izuku's arm and throwing him at the girls. Izuku's body glowed red. He felt his weight increase as he crashed into the roof, going through it and falling into the warehouse below.

"IZUKU-SAN/MIDORIYA-KUN!" The girls cried.

"Izuku-san! Are you okay?!" Ibara called out.

"I'm fine… But I… Can't move… My body… So heavy…" he grunted.

"That would be my Sacred Gear at work," Chuuya clarified, a smile on his face. "Now then, who's next?"

**A/N:**  
**Sorry if this is shorter than you were expecting. I had trouble with this and the next chapter. If any of you have suggestions, then please let me know.**


	11. Uraraka Ochako, the Witch

**_First off, I'd like to say that, at the time I wrote this and posted it on Archive, I have heard about the arson attack that occurred at Kyoto Animation on July 18th. I am not at all familiar with any of their series, but my heart is out to the friends and family of the victims of the attack, #PrayForKyoAni_**

**_I'd like to clear things up a little. Yes, the story is primarily a crossover between My Hero Academia and High School DxD, and yes characters from other series are going to appear also, such as Bungo Stray Dogs. That is obviously not to the tastes of everyone._**

**_The reason I included characters from outside MHA and BSD is because I was inspired to do so by Star Force DxD and My Hero Playthrough, both of which did something similar._**

**_Don't worry, MHA and DxD will still be the main plots._**

**_Now, let's enjoy the chapter._**

* * *

Golden Demon flew towards Rias alarmingly fast, swinging the blade as it made its charge. Barely managing to avoid the slash, Rias decided to fire point-blank at the Port Mafia Executive's avatar. Bolts of Power of Destruction swarmed around her. "Take this!" Shooting the bolts at the avatar, Rias managed to force it back.

However, its master appears behind her, blade drawn. Rias early had the time to react, forming a defensive barrier to protect herself as Kouyou brought her katana down.

"Leave my friend alone!" Sona's scream got the executive's attention. When she turned around, her eyes widen in shock as she was greeted by a giant serpent made entirely out of water that hit her straight on, swallowing her in its mouth.

Immediately, the serpent began shaking, a large bump formed in its stomach area, growing quickly each passing second. Small holes formed in the water, golden lights erupting from them. Like a plastic balloon that was filled with far too much air, the serpent exploded, water scattering everywhere. As the violent sudden rain subdued, a lone figure was sitting where the serpent was, covered from head to toe in water, her hair was now down and messy, an annoyed expression present on her face.

Behind her stood Golden Demon sheathing it's blade. "Trying to drown me? Had it been anyone else it may have worked." The sound of thunder then caught Kouyou's attention.

In the sky, clouds began to darken, thunder roaring across the heavens as Kudelia smiled. "Storm manipulation." Lightning, wind, and water surged through Kudelia's hands as she sent the elements coursing down towards Kouyou. Golden Demon did its best to block the attack, but some of it still managed to reach Kouyou. She grunted in pain as Kudelia twirled around and swept her up in a vortex before slapping her palms together, launching Kouyou back the way he came, sending her tumbling along the ground. Golden Demon had wrapped itself around Kouyou, who only receiving some torn clothes and a few bloody scratches.

The older woman smirked as if she was enjoying the fight. Spreading her wings, Kudelia and the other pure-bloods took to the air, sparks of electricity appearing in Kudelia's hands. Kouyou's eyes widened, realizing what they're up too. "Unholy Thunderbolt!" Kudelia shouted. A powerful bolt of black lightning fired from her hands.

Kouyou made no effort to dodge the attack, however. Instead, Golden Demon appeared before Kouyou, taking the direct hit of the blast. The lightning struck the avatar, black electricity sparking all over the rooftop of the battle due to the water. Kouyou had managed to jump onto the Demon's back, the avatar acting as a makeshift insulator.

Once's Kudelia's attack ended, the Demon vanished, Kouyou falling to the ground as the devils landed. "Had enough?" Kudelia asked.

"As much as I would like to continue this little ballad, I'm afraid we don't have the time." Kouyou turned, the sound of the police force's patrol cars and whistles are coming closer. It seems like they received a report on the fighting. "Be warned girls: you may be heiresses to influential devil clans, but neither that nor the heroes will save you if you cross the Port Mafia again."

Kouyou turned and began to walk away, rain beginning to fall. Rias and the others watched the women leave with contempt. "That was harder than I expected," Kudelia huffed.

"The Port Mafia…" Sona said. "I've heard about them, and it looks like they're no different from what the rumors… No, they're more than the rumors made them to be."

"Indeed," Rias nodded. "Let's get going. Izu-kun and the others might be in trouble."

* * *

The knight leaped into the air, swinging his sword of light downward. Yuuto disappeared from sight, appearing behind the knight. Creating a demon sword, Yuuto charged at the android, only for its shield to block his hit. "Holy Eraser!" The dark blade immediately began to weaken the knight's shield. But the knight simply delivered a kick to Yuuto's gut.

Yuuto gaged, dropping to the ground. "The ability to create any sword you can imagine? Interesting…" the knight noted.

"You forget about us, tin can?" Saji smiled confidently, a small black gauntlet that resembled a chameleon with a deformed face manifesting on his left hand. Pointing the gauntlet at the android, the chameleon's mouth launched a blue line. The knight didn't have enough time to react as the line wrapped around its leg and latched on tightly.

"And now, Absorption Line!" At Saji's command, the line glowed.

The knight's armor began beeping as the shield began to flicker, warning its wearer that the power was being drained. Strangely, the knight seemed calm. "Intriguing…"

"This is your chance guys, get him!"

Looking up, the knight saw Koneko falling towards him, looking ready to deliver a hard kick.

Nearby, Alexandra fought against Brandon, her rapier clashing with his gun blade. Suddenly, Brandon's gun began dismantling itself, pieces either retracting or extending to form and link together. Soon it took the form of a full-length sword, the blades edge glowing orange. The glowing blade easily sliced through Alexandra's rapier, having melted the metal. "Pretty hot, huh?" Brandon said to her.

**Brandon Black, Quirk: Heatwave. He can superheat anything he touches.**

"Ugh. 'Pretty bad', you mean." Alexandra's body glowed a light green, three spectral figures appearing next to her, each resembling a French musketeer. "And this is far from over. Men, take him!"

"Yes, ma'am!" The specters all said.

**Alexandra Dumas, Sacred Gear: Trios Musketeer. She can summon three avatars to fight alongside her. Their names are Athos****, ****Porthos,**** and ****Aramis.**

The knight hacked at the line connecting Saji to his leg, cutting it and jumping out of the way just as Koneko was about to hit. Koneko's kicked caused a large part of the rooftop to crack. "You're far stronger than you look. I'm impressed."

"…Thanks," Koneko deadpanned. Saji stood behind the knight, readying his Sacred Gear again, while Yuuto stood to the side, two demonic swords in hand.

"Three against one? I suppose it's no surprise for devils to fight dirty."

_'__He knows who we are?'_ Yuuto thought to himself. _'He's clearly not an ordinary human. Just who is he?'_

"I'm afraid our time has come to an end," the knight turned to Brandon, who was fighting against the three specters. "Brandon, it's time for us to leave."

"Huh?! You can't be serious! It's just getting good!" Brandon complained.

"Just listen, boy."

Sure enough, the unmistakable sound of police sirens were approaching.

"Aw, man! The police are almost here."

The knight then turned to Koneko and Yuuto. "Be sure to keep proper care of the Red Dragon Emperor. He may become an important player soon." Before the two could ask what he meant, the knight ran to Brandon, grabbed him and jumped off the building.

"HEY! Get back here!" Alexandra yelled, but it was too late. The two were gone.

"We should get out of here," said Yuuto.

"We need to check on Buchou and the others," Koneko added.

* * *

Chuuya charged at them again, aiming for the girls. But when he reached them, they vanished. "What the…?!"

All around him, multiple copies of the girls appeared. Chuuya tries to punch the nearest one, but his fist goes right through it.

"Fakes?!" Chuuya continued to attack each of the illusions, unaware that the three real girls were a good distance away.

"That should keep him busy for now," Milia kept her focus on Chuuya, ensuring that he won't hear or see the real them.

"Nice one, Takamaki-san," said Ochako.

"Izuku-san, are you okay?" Ibara called through the hole in the roof.

"I'm fine," Izuku responded. "I still can't move, though."

"I might be able to help."

Ochako leaped down, using her Quirk to slow her descent. Squatting next to Izuku, she placed her hand on him.

Instantly he felt himself back to his original weight. Grunting, he stood back up. "…That actually worked?" Ochako asked, more to herself than anyone else.

"That Chuuya guy's power must be similar to yours, only he can freely alter someone's gravity," Izuku noted, stretching his wings. "He increased gravity's effect on me, then you removed gravity's effect. So both of your powers canceled the other."

"Are you okay, Izuku-san?" Ibara asked him as she and Milia floated down before retracting their devil wings.

"I'll be fine. What about Chuuya?"

**BOOM!**

The roof behind them gave way, a very angry Chuuya clade in a dark red aura depending down with the remains of the roof.

"Oh. Never mind."

* * *

"Gah, ow… What hit me?" Mizu groaned as she stood up. Whatever hit her, it had the force of a freight train. Pushing aside some debris, Mizu checked herself over. Aside from her torn clothing, what felt to be blood running down the side of her face, a slight concussion, and what was most likely a shattered arm, she was okay.

She felt the Yukinoha rubbing against her, asking if she was okay. "I'll manage for now." She told it. "I just hope Chako and the others are doing okay."

* * *

Chuuya immediately went after Milia, who barely had time to register the sudden kick against her gut. The blue-haired devil was sent flying, crashing into the others with enough force to knock them against the wall. "Play time's over, kiddies," Chuuya floated into the air and charged at them. Ochako, acting on instinct, created a bubble around them that blocked Chuuya's attack.

_*BAM!*BAM!*BAM!*_

The Port Mafia Executive just to punch relentlessly against the shield Ochako had made. "How long do you think this little bubble can protect you?" Chuuya mockingly asked.

"How long will it last?" Ibara asked as she tended to Milia.

"I'm not sure. This is really the first time I'm doing something like this." The bubble then began to crack. "Okay, not long!"

Chuuya smiled when he noticed that the bubble was beginning to break. "I was expecting more from the Red Dragon Emperor and his friends. Guess you don't live up to the hype-"

A bright ball of plasma suddenly hit Chuuya, exploding. The explosion pushed the gravity man away from the kids.

"You guys okay?"

"Mizu-oneechan!" Ochako called out as the older woman ran into the warehouse.

"You kids get out of here," Mizu ordered. "I'll deal with him."

Izuku then noticed how hurt Mizu was and her limped arm. "Wait, you're hurt! You can't take him on by yourself like that!"

Ice covered Mizu's damaged arm, creating a makeshift cast. "I'll be fine," plasma gathered in her left hand. "Plasma Strike!" A beam of plasma shot at Chuuya, which created another explosion upon reaching the Executive.

Chuuya, however, walked out of the fireball. Aside from being singed a little, he was mostly fine. "Now that's interesting," Chuuya smirked. "I think I heard about you. You're the Kaika Hero, Ryūtō, right? You have a Quirk that lets you control plasma."

"What can I say? Mess with Ryūtō, and you'll get burned!"

**Mizushima Akari AKA Ryūtō. Quirk: Plasma Cast. She can generate and control red-orange plasma, which she can use to create anything from small balls of explosives to shields.**

"And that's not the only thing I can do now!" She grabbed her sword, and with a swing of the blade, the entire warehouse was engulfed by a gigantic amount of ice.

The kids had managed to avoid the attack, having been lucky enough to be behind Mizu. "Holy hell!" Milia exclaimed.

Mizu stood there eyeing the ice she had created. Soon the ice began to glow red. It soon began to crack, imploding on itself. Chuuya then shot out and landed several feet in front of Mizu, the ground beneath him indenting. "An attack like that would've killed almost anyone else. And your arm must've shattered after I attacked you earlier yet you're still going," Chuuya smiled. "Guess the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj aren't all talk."

"And I'm impressed you withstood Yukinoha's attack," Mizu, despite herself, smiled as well. "I've never heard of a gravity manipulating Sacred Gear before. What's it called?"

"'For The Tainted Sorrow'," Chuuya answered.

"Hm, poetic."

"Like it? I came up with it myself," Chuuya beamed with pride. "Anyway, why don't you stop stalling. Talking isn't going to get us anywhere fast."

"I disagree…" Mizu shot red beams of magic at Chuuya. The gravity manipulator was quickly ensured by the bands, which anchored themselves to the ground.

"The hell is this?" The Port Mafia Executive growled as he tried to wrestle free. Red aura particle steamed off Chuuya's body as he struggled. Mizu smirked, expecting little to come of it… But that smirk soon disappeared when the bands began to break.

With a roar, Chuuya quite literally broke free from the crimson bonds. Mizu jumped back several feet, shocked. "Not many can break those chains so easily." Mizu began to sweat. "That's not a normal Sacred Gear, is it?"

Chuuya smirked. "Yep. If I had to guess, it's probably a Longinus."

**Nakahara Chuuya, Sacred Gear: For The Tainted Sorrow. The fourteenth Longinus that allows Chuuya to control the gravity of anything he's touched, including his own.**

"A Longinus?!" Izuku gasped, he and the girls watching from behind a still standing wall.

"That can't be right," said Milia. "There are only thirteen Longinus gears in existence, and none of them allow you to control gravity!"

"It's actually more likely than you'd expect," Mizu said to them. "God wasn't able to perfect His system, so there are plenty of bugs. The Longinus Gears can be considered part of that. Depending on what type of Sacred Gear it is, how it was created, and how it works, it's possible for entirely new Sacred Gears to be born with the potential to evolve into Longinus Gears." She looked at Chuuya and asked, "Did something like that happen to you?"

"Not quite, but I'm not in the mood to discuss something so personal."

"We gotta do something!" Izuku hissed as Mizu and Chuuya continued to fight. The only reason Mizu was ignoring the pain from her shattered as long as she had was because of adrenaline. Once that ran out she won't be able to put up much of a fight.

"I got an idea." Ochako focused, remembering what Mizu told her the previous night.

* * *

_"__Okay, so where do we start?"_

_"__Well, first we need to figure out what kind of magic suits you best," a book with stars and moons on the cover appeared in Mizu's hand. "Witches and wizards like you tend to use magic that's best suited to your personality and taste. Your mother, for example, is an expert at spacial magic, and since you share plenty of similarities with her we'll start there."_

_"__How?"_

_Mizu looked around the apartment, her eyes falling upon a paper cup near the tv. "See that cup there? I want you to imagine a ball surrounding it. Then imagine that ball taking the cup to the center of the table here."_

_"__Uh, okay?" Ochako eyed the cup in question. She focused, imagining a ball surrounding the cup. But after a minute of focusing, the cup stayed near the TV. "Ugh! I can't do it!"_

_"__I'm sure you can. But it looks like you weren't focusing properly. Is something wrong?" Mizu asked._

_"__I don't know," Ochako huffed. "I can imagine the bubble, but that's it. I'm not sure why, but lately I haven't been able to focus on anything for some reason."_

_ "__Hmm… Seems like you're distracted or otherwise bothered by something." Mizu stated. "It's not that uncommon of an occurrence among mages like us."_

_"__Di-distracted? By what?" Ochako stuttered._

_"__Oh, I don't know," Mizu said, feigning ignorance and then giving Ochako a cunning grin, "Maybe something to do with a green-haired boy."_

_"__I-I have no idea what you're talking about!" Ochako exclaimed._

_"__Those blushing cheeks tell a different tale."_

_"__I am not-" Ochako began to protest only for Mizu to shove a mirror in her face. Ochako had pinker cheeks then sakura blossoms. She just growled and avoided eye contact._

_"__Talk to me, Chako. I can help."_

_"__W-well…" Ochako trailed off. "Fine. I… I think I might like Midoriya-kun."_

_"__You think or you know?"_

_"__I don't know," Ochako said. She was trying her best to remain calm, but Mizu could tell she was flustered over this._

_The older woman then began to interrogate Ochako. "So, when Midoriya-kun is around, does your heart rate increase."_

_"__I… I think so."_

_"__Does your head feel fuzzy at all when he's around?"_

_"__Yeah."_

_"__Have you tried to avoid being alone with him?"_

_"__I'm not sure. We never had much of a chance to hang out, and when we do Shiozaki is usually with him."_

_"__Alright, then earlier when you came here with him and Shiozaki, did you hope it would've been just him? That Shiozaki didn't come with?"_

_"…__Y-yes," Ochako admitted._

_Mizu nodded. "It's official. You have a crush on him."_

_Ochako turned red. "O-oh… I see…" She swallowed. Ochako was now very nervous. She had a crush. Her head was starting to feel funny again. "Mizu," she asked as her face turned as red as an apple. "Am I really… in love?"_

_Much to Ochako's shock, she saw Mizu shake her head and affirm the motion with a calm, "No." Ochako tilted her head in confusion. "Right now what you have is a crush, which may soon bloom into love. And love takes time for all those involved. Just because you may love him now doesn't mean Midoriya loves you back… at least not yet."_

_Ochako nodded. "So, what do I do? Confess?"_

_"__That would be the easiest option, but that can cause problems if done too early or too late. Just take it at your own pace for now. Now then, try teleporting that cup again."_

_"…__Right after that talk?"_

_"__Yep."_

_Sighing, Ochako looked at the cup again and focused. She imagined the bubble around the cup, and this time a see-through, light pink bubble surrounded the cup. In an instant, the cup disappeared, reappearing on the table. Ochako gasped in shock before she gave a big smile. "I did it!"_

_"__Good work, Chako!" Mizu said, smiling. "You're officially a witch now."_

* * *

_'__Imagine the pink bubble around that guy,' _Ochako's hands began to glow a light pink.

A pink bubble of energy surrounded Chuuya. "What in-!"

Chuuya's body contorted and warped into a spiral with an audible 'whoosh' before he disappeared completely. Ochako let out a sigh of relief. "I can't believe that worked…"

She would've collapsed right there, but Izuku managed to catch her. "You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she huffed, laying her head against his chest, a light blush on her face. _'I wouldn't mind staying like this for a while.'_

The moment didn't last, though. From the corner of his eye, Izuku saw a flash of light. Recognizing it right away, he picked up Ochako just in time to avoid a spear of light.

"Looks like you managed to actually improve," the all too familiar voice of Raynare said from above.

"You again!?" Milia exclaimed.

"I don't know what you did to Mister Chuuya, but I'm not letting any of you leave alive!" Raynare held out a hand, conjuring a large spear of light from above. "Die!"

Raynare threw the spear at the teens. But it didn't hit its target. Instead, Golden Demon appeared and, using its sword, sliced the spear in half.

"That's enough, Raynare!" Kouyou called out. "Don't waste any more time on these pests."

"But, Big Sis Kouyou…" Raynare pleaded.

"The police and heroes will here soon," Kouyou continued. "There's no longer any reason to remain here."

Raynare growled at her human superior, "Fine…" she reluctantly complied. She then looked toward Izuku and the others. "This is far from over." She flew off, Kouyou disappearing as well.

"We need to leave, too," said Mizu. "It be bad if the police see us here."

* * *

A little while later, and all three Peerages had regrouped in the ORC room. Mizu was currently being tended to by Ibara, her Twilight Healing restoring Mizu's arm back to proper shape. "I should be done, soon, but you should still rest for a while."

"Thank you."

Ochako walked up to them. "How are you doing?"

"Other than still not having any feeling in my arm, I'm doing great," Mizu replied. "How's everyone else?"

"They're all fine," Rias answered, Sona and Kudelia beside her.

"Still, Raynare going such a dangerous group is rather unprecedented," Sona said. "It may be best to inform the Satans about this right away."

"I already made a report to the Four Satans about Raynare's new allegiance."

"As did I," said Mizu. "The doc will be meeting with Azazel, the Governor-General of the Fallen Angels, about it."

"Wait, who are the Satans?" Izuku wondered.

"The Four Great Satans are the rulers of the Underworld who were selected after the death of the original Satans during the Great War," Mizu explained, "The current four were given the titles of the original four; Lucifer, Leviathan, Beelzebub, and Asmodeus. Rias' older brother is the current Lucifer, while a Sona's older sister is the current Leviathan."

"The great war dragged on for several years and forced several other factions and races to get involved, the human race being one of them. It really caused all three factions to take major hits, and because of that it's one of the reasons why we're at a standstill at the moment," Rias continued. "There were originally 72 high-class devil families in existence, but after the war, the number dwindled to 33. At the moment, only half of the devil race remains and our people are quite desperate to repopulate, usually through… traditional means." Izuku almost didn't catch it, but he could hear the tone of Rias' voice suddenly turn bitter.

"Just a little longer and it'll be good for tonight," Ibara interrupted before Izuku could question it. "It still hasn't fully healed, so I'll continue tomorrow."

As the members of the three Peerage gradually left, Mom approached Izuku, Ibara, and Ochako as they were about to leave. "I heard you guys ran into Raynare again," she said. "Are you all okay?"

"We're all fine," Izuku reassured.

"She… didn't say anything, did she?" Momo tentatively asked.

"Uh, no. I don't think so," Ochako answered.

Momo breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good…"

"How come?" Ibara asked.

"Um, hey?" another voice interrupted before Momo could answer. It was Milia. She was standing by them with a light blush on her face and rubbing the back of her head, "I wanted to ask you: Can we hang out sometime Midoriya-san, if you want? I mean, we're both devils so we don't have to hide anything anymore."

"Uh… yeah, sure," Izuku nodded, not seeing the jealous looks from Ochako and Ibara, or from his senior.

"Huh?" Rias blinked, looking over at Milia, "Hey, Kudelia. What's up with your Bishop?"

"Who, Milia?" Kudelia asked, a smile on her face, "She's had a crush on Midoriya for a while now." Seeing her friend flinch from her words made her raise her eyebrows. "Oh~? You jealous of my Bishop, Rias?"

"Of course not!" Rias stated though the light blush on her face told Kudelia different.

"Right~. So, are you planning to add Ochako to your Peerage?" Kudelia asked nonchalantly. "I mean, she's both a witch and an apprentice to a sorcerer from Kamar-Taj, she'd be a real catch. I'm just disappointed that I won't have the chance. But you better hurry before Sona takes her."

"I'm not gonna let that happen," Rias stated. "I had a feeling something was different about her compared to normal humans. Now that I know she's a witch, she can become a very versatile Rook."

"Plotting behind backs, are we?" Rias froze up. She glared at Kudelia, who was smiling, before turning around to so Mizu standing over them. "What's this I hear about wanting Chako to become a Rook?"

"Uh, well…"

Mizu patted Rias on the head. "It's okay. If Chako wants to become your servant, that's up to her."

Rias, though somewhat surprised, smiled and nodded.

"By the way, Chako," Mizu spoke up. "Where did you send Chuuya too?"

Ochako blinked a couple of times, taking a moment to remember. Mizu had told her that teleportation spells like that work best when the caster is familiar with the destination. She thought back, trying to recall what came to her mind. The first place that she could think of was-

Her eyes soon grew wide, a look of horror on her face.

* * *

Ochako gaped in shock, Mizu and the Gremory devils right behind her. A good part of her apartment was gone, replaced by rubble. "Damn…" said Mizu.

"…That sucks," Koneko deadpanned.

"What am I gonna do now?"

"Well…" Mizu slowly looked at Izuku, along with Rias.

"Why are you looking at me?"

* * *

"A big part of her apartment was destroyed. Some of her things survived, but she doesn't have anywhere else to go." Ochako, Izuku, and Ibara watched from their seats at the table as Mizu gave Inko her explanation. "She could head back to her parents home, but that's at least a 4-hour train ride. Not that convenient for attending U.A. Allowing her to stay here won't be of any hindrance, will it?"

Inko, with a sympathetic look, answered, "Of course not. The poor dear… Losing her home like that."

"I'm sorry for being an inconvenience," Ochako spoke up, hanging her head low.

"It isn't, Ochako-chan," Inko said. "You're welcome to stay here as long as you like."

"Yeah," Izuku added. "I hope you like it here." Ibara watched on quietly, grumbling something about 'rivals' and being 'out of reach'.

Inko then began to ask questions about Ochako. It was quite the shock when she learned that Inko had a similar Quirk to her own.

When the topic of why she wanted to be a hero was brought up, Ochako told them about her past and parents, and even the reason why she wanted to be a hero, much to her embarrassment, but thankfully, Izuku, Ibara, and Inko looked to be supportive and understanding regarding her reasoning.

"Ochako, dear, there is nothing wrong about being a hero for profit, especially if it's to support your family. My husband is the same way."

"And I can honestly say that what you are well on your way to becoming a wonderful hero that your parents can be proud of, Chako. I know I am," Mizu added.

Ochako couldn't help but feel flustered at the praise, but the feeling of elation she was getting from their support had put a massive, slightly teary smile on her face. She managed to get off a soft word of thanks, before changing the subject so she wouldn't get too overwhelmed.

After a long while of nothing but pleasant talk and a quick visit to Ibara's room (which Ochako will be sharing with now) and Izuku's room, which was full of All Might memorabilia to Ochako's amusement and Izuku's embarrassment, they began to unpack Ochako's things. It went by relatively quickly, due to the limited amount of things she actually had.

The only real obstacle was the box of clothes, which Izuku had the (un)fortunate luck of opening, laying his eyes on a bra and panties before an embarrassed Ochako closed it. It took about a half-hour for Izuku to calm down after seeing it.

Once they had finished unpacking, the three had sat down in the living room while Mizu and Inko continued to chat. "Do you think you'll like it here, Uraraka-san?" Izuku asked.

"I think I will."

Ibara silently glared at Ochako.

"By the way, what was it that Rias wanted to talk to you about?"

"Oh… She asked if I was willing to join her peerage now."

Both Izuku and Ibara blinked. "Really?"

Ochako nodded. "She made a really good argument about it, including how I'll get funding for my parents."

"Wait, does that mean you accepted her offer?"

"…I did," Ochako answered. "But I want to wait a little bit before the whole reincarnation happens, wait until I'm conformable with the idea."

"Why did you accept?" Izuku asked.

"…To be honest, to be closer to you, I guess," she admitted, her face as red as a tomato, which caused Izuku's face to turn red as well.

Ibara continued to glare at Ochako.

"Anyway, where's your dad?" Ochako asked hoping to change the subject.

"Oh, he works overseas," Izuku answered. "I don't really see him that often. I think the last time he was home was for Christmas last year. He barely has enough time to actually come home due to his job, so it's just me and Mom here before bara-san moved in. Mom's all I needed, though. She's amazing for raising me practically on her own and was super happy for me when I… finally got my power," Izuku explained, looking slightly nervous and even a little melancholic towards the end.

Ibara and Ochako noticed his change in tone and couldn't help but frown. Izuku had told them and the others a while ago about how everyone, particular Bakugo, treated him after they discovered he was Quirkless. While Izuku said he was okay, it still pained the girls to know that the boy they admired went through a lot of torment in the past.

Ochako, in particular, wanted to make the pain in his heart go away… To bring his smile back to his face where it belonged. Resolved, she grabbed his shoulders and made him turn to her, much to his surprise, and proceeded to pull him into a warm, loving embrace, causing him to turn red in embarrassment.

"Ura-Ura-Uraraka-san! Wh-What's this f-for!?" He exclaimed as she felt his arms flailing, as if unsure of where they should go.

"…Ochako," she said, her face just as flushed as his. "If we're gonna be living together from now on, I want you to at least call me by my name, Izu-kun."

Izuku audibly gulped, not expecting her to use the nickname Rias gave him.

He then suddenly felt someone grab his arm. Turning, he saw Ibara had wrapped her arms around his, looking jealous for some reason. "Uraraka-san, can you please let Izuku-san go now?"

"No," the little witch soon to be turned devil responded, a sly smile on her face.

Izuku watched in worry as what looked like sparks flew as the two girls glared at each other.

In the kitchen, Mizu watched with an amused expression. "Well, it looks like they'll get along just fine," she said, an amused smile on her face.

Inko simply watched the spectacle with a look of awe before shaking her head with a small smile on her face. "Teenagers," she sighed to herself.

* * *

"Midoriya and the others ran into Raynare?" Kyoka asked.

"Yes," Momo was finishing telling her what happened that night, the two in their room at the Jiro residents. "She has apparently joined the Port Mafia." Momo undid her ponytail, letting her hair down.

"Damn… Did she tell them about-"

"I asked Midoriya-san and the others. She never mentioned me or _him_…" she hissed the last bit, her hands beginning to shake.

Seeing this, Kyoka took hold of Momo's hands. "You do realize you can't run from it forever, right? Rias and the others will learn about it eventually. It'll be better for you to tell them instead of someone like your cousin."

Momo hung her head. "I know, but… What if they don't accept me… Midoriya-san and Shiozaki-san were both tormented by fallen angels, so what if they-"

Kyoka stopped Momo by giving her quick peck on the lips. "You don't know that," Kyoka told her. "Besides, Rias and Midoriya are both pretty smart. They might've figured it out or at least know you didn't tell them everything. It be better for you to be honest with them."

"…Not yet," Momo answered. "Not now. I'm not… ready. If I try now, I don't know what I'll say or do. It could lead to something we'll regret."

Kyoka nodded. "I don't wanna rush you, but if you're gonna talk to them, how long do you need?"

"I don't know. I just need time. I doubt it'll be anytime soon."

"Well, whatever you decided to do, I know of a way to cheer you up."

"Hmm?" Momo didn't have time to register when she suddenly felt Kyoka's hands began foddering her breasts. "Ah!" Momo's face erupted into a blush. She retaliated by passing Kyoka down into the bed.

"Kyoka! Sneak attacks aren't fair!" She playfully said, leaning her face near Kyoka's. "And I'm always the one to dominate you."

"I thought I'd mix things up a little tonight," Kyoka replied, earning a giggle from Momo.

"As fun as that sounds, it'll have to wait."

The two shared a kiss to start off a night of 'fun'.

* * *

On the top floor of the Mori Corporation's central tower, the tallest building of Yokohama was a large office. It had a beautiful view of the city due to its position. There were countless books lining the shelves on the walls, a wooden desk sat at the end. There was a checkerboard marble floor and a handcrafted red carpet.

But this wasn't the office of some corporation. This was the home of the Boss of the infamous Port Mafia, Mori Ougai. He was sitting at the desk, wearing a white button-up, a black pinstriped suit jacket, black shoes, and black trousers. The shirt has a purple and white striped tie. Over this, he has a black trench coat and long, almost knee-length maroon scarf he leaves hanging over his shoulders untied. He's also wearing white gloves.

Next to him on the floor was a young girl, humming as she drew on the floor. She was young, having pale skin and bright blue eyes. She has long, blonde hair, styled with straight, blunt bangs across her forehead and long, thick ringlets that curled past her waist. She wore a large red bow on the right side of her head. She wears a red dress with short, puffy sleeves and a frilled, white hem at the bottom. Around the waist is a thin white band. Her collar is white and buttoned, fastened by a pink ribbon. Below, she wears black and grey stockings with red Mary Janes.

Before Mori were three people: Chuuya, Kouyou, and Raynare. "That concludes our report." Kouyou had finished recapping what happened that night.

Mori nodded. "I see. Chuuya," he addressed the gravity user. "Take what little relics we've managed to acquire and store them in our main vault. We'll contact Kamar-Taj afterward and negotiate their return."

"Yes, sir."

"And Raynare," the fallen angel visibly flinch. "I must congratulate you for finally obeying orders for once, however brief it was."

"Thank you, sir," Raynare looked up to him. "But I recommend that-"

"No, we will not eliminate the Red Dragon Emperor nor his friends," Mori quickly countered. "Doing so would risk the wrath of the Devil King. If that were to happen, this organization may not survive."

Raynare gritted her teeth. "…I understand."

"Good. You may leave now."

"Boss," Kouyou spoke up. "May I have a word?"

"Very well."

Raynare cast Kouyou a slight glare as she stood up, following Chuuya out of the bosses office. Once they had left, Kouyou turned to the Boss. "Why did you bring that brat into this organization? Not only is she immature, but she's also incredibly petty. She's bound to cost the Port Mafia more than she'll earn it."

"It was a request from an old friend," Mori answered. "He asked me to look after her. He'll eventually come retriever her, but until then she'll have to take orders from you and Chuuya."

Kouyou sneered. "Just who exactly is this 'old friend'?"

* * *

In a large room of an expansive mansion, a young girl entered a room pushing a trolley filled with sweets and a tea kettle. Her hair was tied in twin ponytails with large, drill-like curls, blue ribbons keeping them in place. The front of her hair had several bangs hanging over her forehead, with a V-shaped fringe hanging over the bridge of her nose. She wore a long, pink dress with white frills and a magenta bow in the front. She wore matching pink shoes and light pink stockings. In short, she had the appearance of a teenage princess. "Riser, I've prepared lunch," she said to the other occupant in the room, an older man in a sharp suit.

"Oh? Thank you, Ravel," the man said. He was sitting on a chair by a wall, preoccupied with the picture in his hands. Ravel didn't seem to mind as she poured tea into a teacup.

"Are the preparations for the ceremony going well?" Ravel asked him.

"Humph," he smirked, "Like they'll be any problems."

In his hand, he held a photo of a 14-year-old Rias Gremory in a white dress.

**A/N:  
FINALLY DONE! This took a lot longer than it should have.**

**So that takes care of that. Not only is Ochako now officially in love with Izuku, she's now living with him along with Ibara now. Wonder how that'll play out? **

**As for Momo and Kyoka… well, I'll leave what they did to your imagination. ?**

**For those of you wondering why Chuuya's Ability is a Longinus Sacred Gear here, it's because of his origin. I won't go into the details due to spoilers.**

**Also, I wasn't originally planning to have Ochako become a member of Rias' peerage, but when MereC55 and Bens6757 on Archive commented about it I liked the idea so much that I decided to do it. And for any fans of Rossweisse, don't worry. She'll appear eventually.**


	12. Working As a Devil

**This is mostly a filler chapter. You've been warned.**

* * *

"Midoriya-san, how is your training going along?" Milia asked. Class had ended a few minutes earlier and most of their classmates had already gone home.

"Oh, it's going great… I've managed to increase my limit by a couple of minutes," Izuku's voice trailed off as he held his chin, eyes focused on the ground in front of him. "But there's still a lot about my Sacred Gear I don't know about. Buchou told me that I might be able to transfer the stored up power to someone or something else now. That has plenty of uses, but there's still so much about the Boosted Gear I don't know. Like who's voice I heard when fighting Chuuya. Still, if I can transfer the power to someone like Ibara-san, then her Twilight Healing can heal wounds more easily. Maybe I should train with her today, but… no, no, I should hold off on that until after I can use the transfer without fail. One thing at a time after all. Buchou keeps insisting for me to not overwhelm myself whenever I train…"

"There he goes again…" Milia sighed in amusement as she watched Izuku mumble. It was now mid-December. About a month had passed since the fight with the Port Mafia, and only about two months were left before the U.A. Entrance Exam. She hadn't seen him or Ibara around the school as often as she used to. They were likely training whenever they could before they did their duties as Rias's servants. Speaking of…

"By the way, how's Uraraka-san doing?"

"Oh, uh, she's doing great. Buchou reincarnated her last week. She's still getting used to her new strength, though." Izuku chuckled, recalling how Ochako accidentally crushed a doorknob not long after reincarnating. "It takes a little while to get used to being a devil, huh?" He said, recalling how he felt after Rias reincarnated him.

"I suppose so, but I would never know. I was born a devil."

Izuku did a double-take. "You were always a devil?!"

Milia rubbed her head, "I guess I never told you. See, my dad's Japanese, but my mom's a devil. She was a succubus, a sub-race of all-female devils, which technically means so am I."

"Succubus?" When he realized what that meant, Izuku's pupils shrank, his face suddenly becoming red.

"N-No! No! I-I'm not like that!" Milia exclaimed, blushing herself. "Though I do understand why you would think that…"

"I's kay…" Izuku garbled out a response as he cooled down. Then something else that Milia said caught his attention. "Wait… Your mother 'was' a succubus?"

Milia's head began to hang low. "…She and my dad were killed about a year ago."

Izuku gasped, flashbacks to when he met Freed coming to his mind. The two continued to walk in silence toward the school gate. Ibara and Yuuto were already there, waiting for Izuku. "I need to get going now," Izuku said to Milia. "I'm sorry about your parents, Takamaki-san. If there's anything I can do to help, I-"

Milia smiled at him. "You already did more than enough, Midoriya-san," Izuku wondered what she meant by that. "I need to get going myself. See you tomorrow."

"Right. See you tomorrow, Takamaki-san."

Milia watched as Izuku met up with Yuuto and Ibara. A small amount of jealousy boiled within her when she saw how close Ibara was to Izuku as they walked, but she also felt determination. _'I won't lose to any of them,' _she mentally reassured herself, mostly referring to Ochako and Ibara. _'If they're going to U.A. with Midoriya-san, then I'll do the same!'_

* * *

Later, the Occult Research Club, otherwise known as the Gremory group, were all gathered as usual. The school day was already over and the devils were now preparing to do their 'devil work'.

Koneko had already left and Kiba was preparing to leave. Momo was serving Rias some tea and Ibara had just come back. "I'm kinda nervous," Ochako admitted. "My debut as a devil. I don't even know if I can do this."

"I'm sure you'll do great, Ochako-san," Izuku reassured. "If you want I can come with you."

Ochako blushed. "Uh, sure. I'd like that."

They failed to notice the slight glare Ibara gave.

Ochako then asked Izuku. "What was your first job like?"

"…I'd rather not talk about it."

Rias then taught Ochako how to use a magic circle to transport her to where the client was. Ochako, accompanied by Izuku stepped into the circle. They were enveloped by the light of the teleportation circle, disappearing a moment later.

* * *

When the light dimmed down, they opened their eyes, revealing themselves to the environment. It looked like the courtyard of an old shrine, one with a view that overlooked the city. It looked like it had been abandoned for a while, otherwise, the two of them wouldn't have been able to enter. Yet there were boxes and crates surrounding the entrance. It looked like someone was in the middle of moving into the shrine. But who?

"Where are we?" Ochako asked.

"My place."

The two turned, seeing a familiar face that the familiar voice belongs to.

"Mizu-oneechan!"

Ochako ran to the older woman and hugged her.

"Ow! Be careful, Chako! My arm still hurts!"

"Ah! Sorry!" Ochako let go in an instant. "But why are you still here? I thought you wet back to Katmandu?"

"Good question," Mizu smiled. "See, not long after the Port Mafia returned the relics, it was decided to create a new Sanctum here in Japan, with me as the master."

"So this is… all yours?" Izuku asked, looking over the shrine.

"Yep. This place was abandoned by it's god several years ago. After some negotiations, Kamar-Taj now owns this shrine, our new Sanctum." Mizu then looked over the tons of boxes and crates. "Course I need help setting it all up, so I figured I ask my devil apprentice to help."

Ochako looked over the many boxes. This was going to take a few hours at least. "Any chance this is part of my training?"

"Nope. This isn't Karate Kid."

* * *

Sure enough, it took at least two and a half hours to get all the boxes and crates inside. Once that was done their contents were to be removed and place throughout the shrine. Overall this part wasn't as bad. Mizu had already set up several display cases, hooks, and empty book selfs throughout the shrine. All they had to do was place the relics where they would work.

Izuku brought one of the smaller boxes into a room Mizu was going to use as a study. There he noticed that something was already there. It was a coffin made of silver. Chains of various sizes were wrapped around it, some of which were bolted to the floor. On the lid was an upside-down cross. Below the cross was an inscription written in English.

**_The Bird of Hermes is my name_**

**_Eating my wings to make me tame_**

"Izu-kun, you in here?" Ochako asked as she entered. "I just finished with the first room. How are things… What is that?"

"I don't know. I just found it." Izuku took a second glance at the coffin. He didn't know why, but something about this coffin seriously unnerved him. "Let's go find Mizu-san."

* * *

Several hours after helping with the move-in, Ochako and Izuku returned to the clubroom. "We're back!" Ochako called out. Though the only one there was Rias, sitting at her desk doing paperwork. Everyone else must still be out on jobs.

"Welcome back," Rias replied. "How was your first job?"

"It went pretty great!" Ochako beamed. "It was great to see Mizu-oneechan again. She even gave me this." Ochako showed her master a wooden staff. It was the same height as Ochako and had a red gem surrounded by the wood at the tip.

"A witches staff? That is certainly a rare artifact. There aren't many of those left in the world."

"She said that it's both my payment and a gift. Apparently, it's a Kamar-Taj tradition that the person who recruits a new member is responsible for their well being, so they often hand down a belonging to symbolize that. That was how she got the Yukinoha. And why didn't you tell me she was the one who sent that request?"

"She wanted it to be a surprise," Rias answered. "No complaints, either. I say you'll do fine as a devil, Ochako-chan."

Ochako blushed lightly at Rias' compliment. "It's no big deal? But I gotta ask: Are all devil jobs that easy?"

"They usually are," Rias smirked. "Unless you're Izu-kun. The entire time he's been with us he's only completed a handful of contracts."

"Buchou!"

"Really? …Wait, really?!" Ochako looked at Izuku. "How come?"

Izuku laughed nervously. "Well, it's not like the jobs I get are hard… it's just that most of my clients are… kinda weird. With impossible requests. Like Morisawa-san. He's one of Koneko-chan's clients, but he sometimes requests me to talk about manga and the like. Then there's Mil-tan, who wants to become a magical girl-"

"That doesn't sound so bad."

"He's also a male bodybuilder who likes to cosplay as a magical girl."

"…I take it back."

"Then how about we come along?" Rias suggested. "I just received a request from a new client. It be a good way to end the day, don't you think?"

* * *

From the looks of it, it was a room in an apartment. When Izuku looked around the room, he noticed the abundance of objects related to Sengoku. There was a sword in a sheath mounted on the wall and many posters of Japanese castles. There was also a scroll that said "Fuurin-Kazan". There was even a helm of the "bushou" from the Sengoku Era on the shelf. The room was dark, but there were lights on the lamps.

"Wow… this is really cool." Izuku muttered.

"Wah!"

Ochako let out a sudden voice and almost fell back. She was apparently spooked by the armor sitting right in front of them. It looked ominous because of how dark it was in the room. Looking around, there didn't seem to anyone else in the room besides them. That is… until the armor moved.

"Uwaah!"

"Um….ummmm… Ar…are you people devils…?"

The armor was talking. No, rather, there was a person speaking from inside of it. And from the sound of the voice, it was a woman.

"Yes, we are." Rias calmly answered.

"I'm really shocked… Devils do exist… My name is Susan. Just like you can see, my hobby is to collect things related to the Sengoku Era… I'm sorry for dressing up like this… It's dangerous at night, so I protect myself like this by wearing this armor…"

_'__I'm not sure you have much to worry about dressed like that.'_ Izuku mentally said.

Rias stepped in front of the group, taking the foremost position. She started with a nod. "My name is Rias Gremory. This here is Midoriya Izuku, the Devil you summoned. Me and Ochako are just here to see how well he does."

"I see… I'm glad that the ones who came out were kind looking devil-san. If it was a scary devil-san, I would have drawn out this katana, Kijin-marukuni-shige…"

Susan said that while holding a Japanese sword in a sheath in her hand. Due to the blatant ridiculousness of the situation, Izuku's and Ochako's faces somehow ended up getting stuck with deadpan expressions.

"…Are your clients normally like this, Izu-kun?" Ochako whispered.

"…Pretty much." Izuku whispered back. Clearing his thought, he stepped forward. "So, Susan-san, what was the reason you summoned me? You called us because you wanted us to fulfill your wish right?"

When Izuku asked, the armored foreign woman began to cry.

"…Sob…Sob… Please come with me to the University I am attending as an exchange student… the University at night is really scary…"

Upon hearing that request, Izuku and Ochako sweat-dropped. "Eh?"

"You're joking, right?" Ochako asked.

"B-But, but…! I left my notebook there… the university at night is too scary, I can't go alone… Uuu…"

Izuku sighed, having gotten used to these odd requests. "Where is the university?"

About a half-hour later, the three devils and armored woman returned to her apartment, notebook in hand. It was… rather odd. Susan was a total scaredy-cat, swinging her katana around at the slightest sign of something scary. Though, Izuku silently admitted that the university _did_ look creepy at night.

Izuku had already received his payment. It wasn't a big wish so he didn't mind doing it for free, but she insisted she would pay a price. The payment he received was a small scale Japanese castle. For some reason, Rias took a deep interest in it and decided that they would keep it in the clubroom.

Rias had started to cast the magic equation connected to the magic circle in the clubroom, made for returning to the clubroom after confirming the job is completed.

"Okay. We will be going back now."

"Um… excuse me…" Susan walked up to Izuku shyly. "…It might be a bit rude… If it isn't rude, there is one more wish I want to be fulfilled…"

"Uh…" Izuku looked to his master. "Is this okay?"

Rias nodded. "I don't see why not."

"To tell you the truth… I'm thinking of going forward to someone… who goes to the same University as me… and tell him about my feelings."

"Feelings?" Ochako immediately realized what she meant. "You're planning to confess to someone?!"

Susan started shaking like a maiden when Ochako said that. "Umm… umm, there is a man that I like… I'm slow at these things, but I want to tell him my feelings…"

Rias gained a smile after hearing that and nodded. "It's a wonderful wish. Okay. I will listen to your wish."

"You will? I'm glad! Devil-san are good people!" Susan began to do a step dance after hearing Rias's answer.

"So what do you want us to do?" Izuku asked. "I'm not that great at these sort of things, so I'm not sure I'll be of much help."

"If it's possible I want to go out with him by telling my feelings… But it's my first time doing something like this… I'm not sure where to start." Susan admitted. In other words, she wants to win a man's heart by natural means, but since she doesn't know much about it, she's asking for assistance from the devils.

"It would be the quickest if you confess your feelings directly."

Susan shook her head violently at Rias's suggestion. "It's impossible for me! I'm too embarrassed!" Being the scaredy cat she is, it did seem implausible for someone like Susan to confess so directly. Especially if she was gonna end up doing it inside that armor.

"Then… how about you write him a letter?" Ochako suggested.

Rias nodded at Ochako's suggestion. "Yes, I think a love letter is also good. I think it's wonderful to show your feelings in a letter as well."

"I understand! I will write it!"

Susan went into a corner of the room and started to search for something. She then took out a calligraphy set. She got a blank page for the calligraphy and put it down. She then dipped the brush in the ink, preparing to write something on the paper. But then she stopped.

"…"

And her body started shaking.

"…Uuu, I don't know what to write…" She sounded like she wanted to start crying again.

Gently, Rias placed a hand on Susan's armored shoulder. "Just write what you feel."

"…W-What I feel?"

As Rias and Susan discussed on what to write, Ochako began to think. _'Maybe I should take my own advice,'_ she looked to Izuku, who was once again admiring Susan's Sengoku Era collection.

"Something on your mind?"

Ochako squeaked in surprise at Rias's voice, which drew Izuku's attention. "No! Nothing! Everything's fine!"

"If you say so," Rias chuckled as she sat down next to them.

"How's the letter coming along?" Izuku asked.

"It honestly sounds like an official address," Ochako noted, overhearing Susan as she read aloud what she wrote.

"It's alright," Rias said. "It's the feeling that matter, not the form. Not the form…"

For a moment, Izuku saw a somber look in Rias's face when she said that. She looked almost… sad. "Buchou…?"

"I'm done!"

Looking up, the devils saw that Susan was done. And she had apparently grabbed a bow and arrow, folded the letter to the arrow and was beginning to fire.

_'__THAT'S HOW SHE'S SENDING THE LETTER?!'_

* * *

After a few days, Izuku, Ochako, and Rias had reunited with Susan in a random park. And Susan had… gone all out. In front of them was a base, various flags with a certain symbol on it everywhere. And at the center of it, the armored Musha sat on a chair.

With the help of Rias a few days ago, she finished writing her love-letter safely and safely delivered it to the person she likes. Well, as safely an arrow can take it without injuring anyone. What mattered was that she successfully delivered her letter. And now the man she was crushing on will be coming to the park today to give Susan a reply to her confession.

Izuku, Rias, and Ochako stood on the sidelines while Susan, on the other hand, was shaking a bit in her armor. She seemed nervous, but it honestly looked creepy. A bizarre sight for any bystanders witness to it.

"Looks like he's here."

When the group looked in the same direction as Rias, there was a figure in the distance, gradually getting closer… Wearing western armor. A knight's armor. He held a cone-shaped lance in his right hand and a shield on the left. His head is covered with a helm that also covers his whole face so his face cannot be seen.

Just like with Susan, he seemed to be another culturally fanatical person.

"Aaah, it's amazing. It's a collaboration of a Musha and a Knight."

Rias said it with some sort of wonderment in her eyes. If one was to look carefully, an arrow could be seen piercing the helm of the knight.

"…I hope he wasn't wearing that helmet when Susan-san set her letter…" Izuku muttered nervously.

Then, finally, the knight drew closer to Susan. He came into Susan's base while making sounds of metal colliding. No matter how you look at it, it looks like a battle was about to start.

The Knight stood in front of Susan. Susan also stood from her place. There was an abnormal atmosphere around them. The knight then pierces the ground with his lance violently and brings something out. It's a letter.

"…This letter. I have read it…"

"Yes…"

Susan's body was shaking nervously.

"…It was a wonderful arrow-letter. For me to let my guard down and get shot… It was a good arrow-letter…"

"I… I was just thinking about shooting the bow… Horii-kun."

"If it's me, I would be glad to go out with you…"

Luckily for Susan, she ended up receiving the answer she was hoping for.

"Ho…Horii-kun…Sob…I'm glad…sob…"

Susan had a tearful voice. It was difficult to tell because she was wearing a helm, but it certainly sounded like she was crying.

"Susan…"

The western knight, Horii, hugs Susan gently. They hugged each other while wearing armor so the sound of metal colliding was present. It was an especially bizarre scene, as innocent as it really was.

"Let's talk about The Book of Five Rings you wrote about in this letter."

"Yes. I wanted to talk about Miyamato Musashi's Niten Ichi-ryuu with you Horii-kun…"

The Musha and the Knight then took each other's hand and walked away.

"Thank you very much!"

Susan waves her hand at the young devils. The three responded with smiles and applause. In the end, it was considered a "happy ending of sorts".

* * *

"Is that how your jobs normally end, Izuku-san?" Ibara asked. Not long after Ochako, Rias, and Izuku returned to the clubroom Izuku received a text. A picture from Susan of her and Horii. Wearing their armor at a restaurant. This was bound to be on the news soon.

"To be honest, it was a little different in the end," Izuku admitted. As the three walked home, talking about how their jobs went, a thought occurred to Izuku. When she saw the picture of Susan and Horii, he noticed that she looked sad, almost longing. "By the way, did Buchou look… sad to you?"

"Sad?"

"What do you mean?"

Ibara and Ochako asked.

"I'm not sure. During the job she seemed… off." As Izuku thought about it, a strange feeling gripped him. He didn't know why, but he didn't like seeing Rias so sad.


	13. Exams Begin

'Wedding bells? Why are there wedding bells?'

_Ever since he met Rias, Izuku has gotten pretty used to the strange and unusual. He had seen things that would make lesser people turn white and come out unscathed, which he could say wasn't an easy accomplishment. But for some reason he found himself standing on the steps of a church with bells chiming in the air and a large, noisy crowd standing before him._

_And why was he in a white tuxedo?_

_"__Izuku!" He looked through the crowd and found his mother dressed in a red gown, his father wearing light blue dress clothes standing behind her. "We're so proud of you! Please be sure to make us lots of grandkids!" Inko beamed proudly._

_"__Grandkids?" Izuku blinked dumbly._

_"__DEKU, YOU CHEAP BASTARD!" Izuku nearly jumped at the all too familiar yelling. Looking through the crowd, he saw Bakugo with an absolutely livid look on his face being restrained by his two friends. "HOW THE HELL DID YOU MANAGED TO GET MARRIED BEFORE ME!?"_

_"__M-m-married?!" Izuku paled. "I'm getting married!?" How was he getting married now? He was only fifteen! Sure the age of consent is thirteen but that was something else altogether! And who was he even getting married to?!_

_That question was answered when he felt someone wrapping their arm around his. He looked up at a very impressive chest and the blood rushed back to his face with a vengeance as he jerked his head up. There at his side was Rias Gremory, dressed in a pure white wedding dress. The skirt was just short enough to show off her shapely legs covered in white pantyhose and matching heels. A bouquet was holding in her gloved hands, a veil was lifted over her head, and her beauty was enhanced with make-up._

_"__There's no need to look so restless, Izu," she smiled lovingly at him, "Just bask in the moment."_

'No way! You gotta be kidding me!'_ Izuku screamed inwardly, _'My bride is Buchou?!'

_Both Izuku and Rias walked down from the steps of the church and past the crowd, side by side. All in the while, many cheers and cries sounded out from the crowd. There were a lot of voices crying out, but he could make out what they were saying. He could hear girls cry out "Rias-sama, you're so beautiful!", "You're gorgeous!", and "You're too beautiful! Why him?!" Izuku tried to play it cool but he was sweating, very uncomfortable with being so close to a beautiful girl, a beautiful girl he was married to apparently._

_"__We've arrived," Izuku was brought out of his thoughts at the sound of Rias' voice. To his surprise and embarrassment, he found that they were standing before a huge love hotel. He completely forgot that one of the main things couples did during a honeymoon was having sex with one another all night long._

_"__Shall we go then?" Rias asked, smiling at him._

_"__Uh… yeah," Izuku nodded slowly, his face still bright red._

_The couple checked themselves inside and went up to one of the rooms. It was a typical design. The colors were meant to stimulate passion. Red and pink were pretty common. The rug was soft just in case the guests wanted to make love on the floor. Izuku sat nervously on the bed while Rias was in the bathroom preparing herself, his thumbs twitching together like crazy. The bed was round and there was a set of controls set on a control panel that was built into the nightstand._

_He looked at a nearby round table and saw some bottles of wine, lit scented candles and massage oils. He swallowed heavily, his skittish nature rising. As far as he could remember, he had never been with a girl, at all. There was that one time during elementary school that he played with Rinsan, but this was completely different. Sure he found himself attracted to Rias, much like a lot of heterosexual males, but he could never believe that she would take an interest in him before. But the times had changed and he was about to start a new life with her._

_And on the first night, he was about to make babies with her!_

_"__Oh, Izuku~."_

_Izuku quickly turned his head at the sound of Rias' voice. She stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her shapely body. The towel didn't stay for very long as she allowed it to drop to the floor and pool around her feet. The elegant young lady was in a very smoking lingerie, white floral lace bustier with a lace-up front, boning, garter straps, underwire cups, adjustable shoulder straps, matching fingerless gloves and g-string with matching sheer stockings. It was very welcoming, like uncharted territory._

_"__Uh… you look… wow…" was all Izuku was able to say._

_Rias giggled as she sauntered over to him. She pushed him down on the bed and climbed on top, straddling his waist. "S…sorry, I'm n-not really used to this yet," Izuku stuttered, his voice beginning to crack._

_"__There's no need to apologize, my dear Izuku," Rias smiled, her eyes half-lidded as she cupped both her hands to his face. Izuku could feel his heart throbbing. He felt that it was throbbing so loud that it was practically thundering in his eardrums. "It's alright, I'll lead."_

_Rias leaned down and puckered her lips, wanting to seal the moment with a kiss. Izuku didn't know what else to do, but breathe deeply and close his eyes. His arms reacting on their own and wrapped around her waist, bringing her in closer, the lips just inches-_

**_[If I didn't know better, I say you like getting aroused by assertive women, huh brat?]_**

_Izuku's eyes shot open as he quickly sat up. Rias had suddenly vanished and with her the bedroom. Instead, he found himself sitting in the middle of a black void. "What the- What's going on?! Is this still a dream?"_

**_[This ain't no dream, brat. Not anymore, at least.]_**_ The voice was right behind him. _**_[There are a few things we need to discuss.]_**

_Izuku turned around, and paled upon seeing, surrounded by torrents of flames, a gigantic, red "D-d-d-dr-dragon?!"_

**_[Don't act like this is the first time we've met. You've heard my voice before.]_**_ The red dragon spoke to him._

_It then hit Izuku. He heard his voice before, when training with Rias, and again during the fight against Chuuya. "You're that voice I've been hearing!"_

**_[That's right. I'm glad you finally reached a level where you've noticed. I've been trying to talk to you for years now. And at last, I've managed to appear before you.]_**

_"__Wh-what do you want?!"_

**_[I merely wanted to introduce myself… To my new comrade who will be fighting alongside me against the White One.]_**

_"__Fighting alongside you!? White One!? What does that mean?!"_

**_[You'll understand soon enough. Till we meet again.]_**

_"__Hey, wait!" Izuku reached out, only to see his left arm had the Boosted Gear…_

* * *

…And he opened his eyes to find himself lying in his bed. He blinked rapidly. He sat up, groggy, his head in a total daze. "Okay… that was weird."

He looked at his left hand, which held the Boosted Gear._ 'It was a dream, right?'_

Izuku then noticed that it was almost 5:30 in the morning. It was almost time for his morning jog. But that wasn't why he needed to get up early today. "Oh, right! Today's the entrance exam!" With that Izuku put on his tracksuit and jogged.

When he got back to the apartment, he found that Ochako had already made breakfast. "Good morning Izu-kun," she greeted.

"Good morning," Izuku said as he took off his shoes. "Is Ibara-san still asleep?"

"She went out for a jog. You must've just missed her," Ochako salted the eggs she was cooking. Once she was done Ibara returned from her jog.

As the three ate breakfast, discussing what they think the exam will be like, Ibara was staring at Izuku. Eventually, the other two noticed.

"Is something wrong?" Izuku asked.

"Huh?" Ibara realized and fumbled with her fork. "I'm fine, it's just… Izuku-san?"

"Yeah?"

"…Did you always had horns?"

"Huh?"

Ochako began to stare at Izuku, too. "Oh, yeah. I never noticed, but there are two stubby horns on your head!"

"W-what?! Really?!" Izuku began to rube his hands through his hair, looking for the horns the girls saw. Sure enough, there were two, stubby little horns on his head. "What the… How long did I have these?!"

"Is it because of you being a devil?" Ochako guessed.

"I don't think so. None of the others have horns as far as I can tell," Izuku said. "Is it because of my Sacred Gear? I have been using Dragon Force a lot lately, so it is possible that the energy is starting to affect me physically. Still, why horns?" As Izuku continued to mumble, the girls could only sigh.

"And he's gone," Ochako muttered.

"Do you think Buchou might know why he's growing horns?" Ibara asked.

"Maybe. But for now, we should just focus on the entrance exam."

* * *

This was it, the day of the U.A. Entrance Exams. Izuku, Ibara, and Ochako were standing outside the building, wearing their training cloths for the practical exam. While they have been to the campus almost every day for the last few months, this felt entirely different. Today would decide if they would truly be going to U.A.

"This is it, it's do or die," Izuku said, staring at the large U.A. entrance that just seemed so much bigger and more intimidating than it was.

Ibara swallowed a lump in her throat. Izuku was right. Today, they would either succeed or fail. "This is really nerve-racking," said Ochako.

"Hey, guys! Sorry for the wait!" The three looked behind them to see Kyoka coming up to them. "You ready for this?"

"I'd say I'm not worried, but that would be lying," Ibara said.

"At least we're prepared," said Izuku. "Compared to Raynare and Chuuya, this should be easy." The three girls all nodded. Confident that they'll pass, the four proceeded to head for the entrance, until…

"Stupid Deku."

Izuku immediately stopped. Deku. And the voice…_ 'Oh no.'_

The four looked backed to see a familiar boy with ash-blond hair and red eyes walking forward with a frown on his face. "Get outta my way before I kill you." He threatened, making Izuku flinch and the girls to frown, especially Ibara.

_'__Bakugo_…_'_ Ibara mentally hissed. She had never met him in person and only saw him a couple of times, but she had heard plenty about Bakugo from both Izuku and Inko, and from other students at their middle school. She didn't care if he was the top of his class, the fact remained he was a bully, plain and simple. One who belittled Izuku all his life.

She ignored Izuku quickly moving out of Bakugo's way and Izuku frantically saying things like 'Good luck!'

Deciding to take some action, Ibara had one of her vines slither out… and tripped him. Izuku watched in horror as Ibara made Bakugo fall flat on his face with Kyoka and Ochako snickering. Bakugo quickly got up and gave the group a death glare. "WHO THE HELL DID THAT!" He screamed with his usual temper.

Ibara simply smiled innocently.

"It wasn't us," Kyoka said. "But if I had to guess you must've tripped over your own ego."

"WHAT'D YOU SAY EARLOBE!?" He shouted with smoke coming off his hands, making Izuku pale while Ochako continued to hold back her laughter.

"I think you heard me," Kyoka said as she narrowed her eyes at him and talked in a serious tone. "Now, if you want to avoid making a scene and possibly getting kicked out for starting a fight, I think you better move along."

Bakugo was completely livid with this girl. Who did she was talking to _him _like that? Damn extras should now their place. But ultimately, she was right. Starting a fight with her would most likely make him either late, or even kicked out of the facility. Glaring right at her, he turned around and walked away. "Fuck you." Was the last thing he said to them as he walked toward the building.

Once he was out of earshot, Ochako let loose her laughter. "That was great, Ibara-chan!"

Ibara smiled proudly.

"Yeah, nice one Ibara," Kyoka said. "That guy is a bigger jackass than you described, Midoriya."

"K-K-Kacchan's usually l-like that," Izuku said trembling a bit after what happened.

"Why do still call him Kacchan?" Ibara questioned.

"I…" Izuku stopped. Why _did_ he still call him Kacchan? Is it because he still admires him? Or is it because he simply wants his childhood friend back? "I'm not sure."

"…Well, it doesn't matter now," Ochako said, placing a hand on Izuku's shoulder. "We need to head inside for the written exam."

Izuku nodded. "Then let's do our best."

"Yeah!" The four of them cheered. And with that, they headed inside.

* * *

"So, how did you do on the test?" Izuku asked as he and Ibara, as well as a crowd of other people, walked into a lecture hall.

Before the written test the students were all given a card which gave them a number and pretty much told them where to sit based on things like what school they went to.

"I think I did pretty well. Those tips you gave me really help with the math questions," Ibara stated. "How did you do?"

"Great I think," Izuku said, remembering how the written exam was rather easy for him.

The two managed to find where they were seated… only for Izuku to panic a bit when he saw they were sitting next to Bakugo. Thankfully the ash-blond didn't seem to pay them any mind and simply scoffed. Izuku sighed in relief as he and Ibara sat down, Ibara sitting between Izuku and Bakugo.

"How do you think Ochako-san and Kyoka-san did on the test?" Ibara asked.

"I'm sure they passed, now we just need to worry about the practical," Izuku said, confident that their friends passed the first part of the entrance exams.

Suddenly the two's attention, as well as everyone else's, was drawn forward as the lights to the center of the stage in the room lit up as well as a large monitor with U.A.'s logo on it.

"_What's up U.A. candidates?_" A loud voice said with the lights revealing who it was. Standing on the center of the stage was a tall skinny man with long spiky blond hair and a small mustache. He wore sunglasses and a pair of headphones with the word 'HAGE' on the headband. He also had a black jacket that was studded on the collar, which was upturned and had shoulder pads and a red studded belt with black pants, boots, and fingerless gloves. He also seemed to have a directional speaker around his neck.

"_Welcome to the show today! Everybody say, 'HEY!'_" he said enthusiastically while waving his arms around before snapping his fingers and pointed towards the audience.

…Only to receive silence.

"_Tch. And here I thought Shouta was a sourpuss!_" The announcer said.

"Oh my…! I thought he looked familiar. It's the voice hero President Mic! I listen to his radio show every day!" Izuku beamed.

"Shut the hell up," Bakugo growled, making Izuku flinch and Ibara to glare at the ash-blond.

"_Now, let me explain how this wicked practical is gonna do down. Like the application said, today you rockin' boys and girls will be conducting ten-minute mock battles in suburban settings! Better tighten up those belts of yours because once I drop the mic here you'll be sent a specified battle center, sound good?_"

Once again, silence, but only because everyone was looking at their application card. "I see," Bakugo said as he quickly realized something about the cards. "They're splitting us up so we can't work with friends." He deduced.

Izuku got over his flinching of Bakugo and looked at Ibara's card, and realized the ash-blond was right. "Yeah, you're right. Mine and Ibara-san's examinee numbers are in order but were in different battle centers." Izuku stated. His card stated that he was in center B, while Ibara's stated that she was in E.

"Damn," Bakugo muttered. "I was looking forward to crushing you."

"_Okay, everyone!" _President Mic said getting everyone's attention. _"Let's check out your targets. There are three types of faux villains in every battle center. The points you earn depend on their level of difficulty so I hope you keep track. Your goal here listeners is to use your Quirk to smash up as many faux baddies as possible and get the highest score you can! Just make sure you keep things heroic ladies and gents! Any unheroic behavior is strictly prohibited!_"

"Excuse me, sir, but I have a question!" Everyone turned to the question as a tall boy with glasses and blue hair shot straight up from his chair and raised his hand high.

"_Hit me!_" President Mic said as a spotlight came down on the boy.

"On the print out you've listed four types of villains. Not three," sure enough, he was right. Pointing to his own booklet showed there were four villains listed from A to D. "If this is a mistake on U.A.'s part it is shameful for the most prestigious school in Japan to make such a mistake! And you!" Suddenly he turned around and pointed at Izuku, making him flinch. "You've both been muttering the whole time. If you two are just here on some pleasure trip, then you should leave. You're distracting the rest of us."

"Sorry," Izuku said quietly as he lowered his head.

The rest of the examinees laughed a bit at Izuku being called out, until…

"Was that necessary?"

"Excuse me?" The boy replied, having not expected anyone to question what he had to say.

Everyone turned their attention to who questioned him. He had dual-toned, messy hair, being bleach blonde at the front and black at the back end. His eyes are dark red and have cat slit pupils. His uniform was worn rather sloppily, with the red tie worn loosely and the black blazer unzipped, showing a which polo shirt underneath. He also has small belts with golden buckles each wrapped around the sleeves of the blazer and two more normal-sized belts around his waist, the top one is done up but not buckled while the bottom one hangs loosely.

"Did you really need to call him out like that?" He repeated herself. "He's just a little excited about seeing Present Mic and probably nervous about taking the exam. Hell, we all are. So did you really need to call him out over that?"

"But he's distracting!" The boy countered. "Don't you find his muttering inappropriate in such a prestigious institute?"

"Not really," he said. "And I'm pretty sure no one else was bothered by it. Here's something that's distracting, though: A guy shooting up from his chair and demanding his questions be answered."

"But… I-I just needed clarification on…!" The guy seemed flummoxed, trying to formulate a response.

President Mic snickered at the bickering between the students before waving his hands around to calm things down. "_Alright, alright calm down numbers 7111 and 2012. To answer your question 7111, the fourth villain is more of an obstacle getting in your way. That guy is worth zero points and there's one in every battle center. It's not that it can't be beaten, there's just no point. I recommend my listeners try to avoid it._"

"Thank you, sir," The blue-haired boy thanked as he did a perfect 90° bow before sitting back down.

Izuku turned his head to look at the boy who stood up for him. He seemed to notice this and look back at him as Izuku mouthed a 'Thank you' to him. He understood and gave Izuku a small smile and a nod.

"_Now, before I send you guy's off, allow me to share our school motto with all of you… As General Napoleon Bonaparte once laid down. A true hero is one who overcomes life's misfortunes. So Go Beyond… _**_PLUS ULTRA! _**_Now good luck suffering!_"

"…That… was encouraging," Ibara said nervously as she and Izuku sat up.

"It's probably just his way of hyping up everybody." Izuku guessed with a nervous chuckle.

"Well… I better get to my battle center, good luck." Ibara said as held her hand out.

"You too," Izuku said as he shook Ibara's hand.

* * *

One bus ride later, and Izuku stepped out of the bus along with a small group of people. They all stood near the entrance to the faux city. Izuku's whole body was shaking, a wobbly smile on his face. Everything led up to this. After years of being told he could never be a hero, that he had no chance of getting into getting in his dream school. It all would end here. He just couldn't fail. He would prove everyone wrong. He would be a hero. A hero that would save everyone with a smile, just like All Might.

_'__This is it. It's do or die now.'_

"Hey Izu-kun! I didn't know you'd be here!"

Izuku was snapped out of his thoughts by Ochako. The brunette had just stepped out of the bus. "Oh, Ochako-san!"

"Looks like we got assigned to the same battle center!" She smiled. "Wanna team up, then?"

"S-sure!"

Once Izuku looked back at the entrance to the faux city, Ochako grew a mischievous smile. _'I'm gonna get ahead of you, Ibara~.'_

* * *

Ibara suddenly had a strange feeling. As if someone was trying to take Izuku away from her. _'Why am I suddenly so upset?'_

"Are you doing okay?" Ibara turned around and saw a girl her age wearing a basic teal gi. She had orange hair in a side ponytail and had teal eyes.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just… trying to take it all in is all," Ibara was telling the truth. This was rather nerve-racking, to say the least.

"I don't blame you. This is a bit much." The ponytail girl glanced at the faux city. "I'm actually worried that this is a little bias. The people who have Quirks not suited against robots won't have an easy time."

* * *

Milia took deep breaths as she stood near the entrance to the faux city, trying to calm her nerves. Even after the little training, she did during the past few months, she was still nervous about this. She wonders if Izuku and the others were nervous about the exam as well. Truth be told, she didn't originally intend to become a hero. After her parent's deaths, she just didn't know what to do with her life. She'd probably be on the street somewhere had Kudelia not taken her in as per her mother's wishes.

Even then, she never really spoke much with Kudelia or anyone else in the Dantalion peerage for that matter. Still reeling from the deaths of her parents, she barely spoke to anyone. They had to remind her to eat at times. They even had to reminder to go to school. Aldera wasn't all that bad, aside from the somewhat apathetic teachers, but overall it had been nice somewhat. The only thing she really hated about the school was how no one seemed to mind Bakugo's behavior.

She had the unfortunate 'honor' of being in the same class as the explosive teen. And she was far from impressed. His attitude certainly didn't help. So she decided to avoid him as much as possible. An easy thing to do, since he seemed to love tormenting the boy who sat in front of her: Izuku. She didn't really know what to think about him. Honestly, she found his muttering off-putting and annoying.

It wasn't until the beginning of the first semester of her third year that she got to know more about him. She was by herself near the school gate one day, walking home when she saw a family walk by. A mother and father carrying their young daughter, laughing and smiling. When she saw that, Milia just… broke down. Collapsing to her knees, Milia began to cry. As she never really got to know any of the students, they didn't bother to ask what was wrong. All except one. She wasn't sure how long she was crying for when she felt someone place a hand on her shoulder. It was Izuku, concern on his face.

It honestly felt like a dream when he asked if she was okay. Even when she gave a shaky nod, he did anything he could to help, even taking her to a nearby restaurant. Milia had heard that Izuku wasn't that great when it came to girls, which became apparent once Milia had calm down, but Izuku didn't seem at all bothered by her the entire time. He was so focused on helping her that was a completely different person from what she knew about him.

Milia wasn't entirely sure when, but she figured she began to fall for Izuku either during or after he helped her through her breakdown. Gradually, she began talking to Izuku more and more often. He was flustered and nearly had heart attacks the first few times, but he quickly got over it. And the more time she spent with him, the more she felt like her old self. When he told her about his dreams, Milia encouraged him to follow them, even though Izuku was Quirkless.

It wasn't until after Izuku got picked up by Rias that she began training. Training to go to U.A. had not been easy. But she was determined to go to U.A. Not to become a hero, but to be by Izuku's side. She was afraid of losing him to Ibara and Ochako, and maybe the other girls in Rias' peerage. And now here she was, standing beside other hopeful U.A. applicants. This will not be easy. But she knew she had to do this so that one day she can help Izuku like how he helped her.

That didn't mean she didn't feel like running to the bathroom to puke, though. She knew that Celica would be taking this test too, but the odds of her being in the same group as her were slim, so she can't rely on her for help.

"Wait a sec… Takamaki?"

Milia nearly jumped out of her skin when someone called her name. It took a moment to recognize the voice, as she only briefly met her once. "J-Jiro-san?"

Kyoka smiled as she walked up to Milia. "Wasn't expecting to see you here," she said.

"Y-yeah, I suppose…" Milia chuckled nervously. She and Kyoka had only met once before when Momo had come to Aldera to pick up Ibara and Izuku for training. "Y-You ready for this?"

"Hell no."

"That was… blunt…" Milia said, before nodding. "But yeah. I'd be lying to say I'm not nervous about this."

Kyoka chuckled. "Seriously, though, why are you here? You don't strike me as the type to wanting to be a hero."

"Uh, well, I…" Milia desperately tried to think of something, praying to the Satans she wasn't blushing.

"…It's because of Midoriya, isn't it?"

And her hopes were dashed. "W-what!? No, I-" when she saw thew knowing smirk Kyoka had, she gave up trying to hide her reason. "Yeah…"

* * *

To say that Iida Tenya's experience with U.A. was disheartening would be one way to put it. For years, he had always imagined U.A as the pinnacle of Hero institutions. A glorious facility that, through its rigorous curriculum, had produced many great Heroes, from All Might to each member of the Iida family.

This almost holy institution was a mold, one that turned young students into the next generation of great Heroes. And Tenya did everything in his power to prepare himself, to prove himself worthy of stepping into its halls.

He spent countless hours training with his parents and brother so his Quirk, Engine, would be ready for the rigorous trials of this exam.

_"__Come on Tenya, you don't need to kill yourself over this. It's just an exam like any other. Just do your best and you'll pass it no problem."_

While Tensei had told him those words, Tenya knew that they hid a double meaning. He had to train, but not to the point of exhaustion. This exam posed no problem for Tensei, but only because he had mastered the family techniques to the point where he made even the most grueling and difficult maneuvers look easy.

All Tenya had to do was push himself to the limit to pass. Then, and only then, will he be allowed to enter U.A.'s halls.

_'__And yet everyone else is…' _Tenya scanned his surroundings. After the exam overview, Present Mic directed them to the lockers so they could change into the attire they brought for the practical exam. He brought the tracksuit that was specially designed for members of his family, made of frictionless material that clung tightly to the body but did not chafe. According to Tensei, that was important for Hero costumes, but for the life of him, Tenya couldn't understand why.

Everyone else, however, wasn't as prepared as he was. Tracksuits, sweat pants, old t-shirts that looked far too big for those wearing them, and the occasional scarf worn to make the outfit appear more like a Hero costume. Sure there were occasional homemade masks and such, but they were few and far between. Some even had the audacity to wear their school uniforms for this.

The boy who had been distracting was here as well. He was talking with another applicant, a girl with a perma-blush. Weren't they aware they could be distracting the other students who were trying to focus and steel their own nerves! Tenya began to open his mouth to silence them but stopped himself. _'I shouldn't, or else I'll distract them and others from the exam.'_

The two seemed to know each other. Possibly from neighboring schools, perhaps? Whatever the case, they seemed to be planning to work together, which Pro Heroes often did. Plus, it seemed that Tenya himself was the only one being bothered by them. He just needed to focus on the exam. That was the most important thing right now.

Unknown to Tenya and the other examinees, the large doors to the battle center opened up with surprisingly little noise. After a few seconds, the loud voice of Present Mic suddenly yelled down at them from above. _["Go! Go! Go! In real battles, there are no countdowns! What are you doing, listeners? You're wasting air time!"]_

For a few seconds, everyone just stood in shock, and then almost as one, everyone rushed into the battle center.

**A/N:**

**And thus we've finally reached the U.A. Entrance Exams! Yay!**


	14. Robots and Exams

"So what do we do first, Izu-kun?" Ochako asked as she and Izuku silently trailed behind the other examinees.

Izuku began thinking, weighing their options. From what he could tell, they had two. The first was that he could rush into the center of the battle zone. That would probably be where the most enemies were, but a majority of the other examines were sure to rush that way. Or he could head more towards the outskirts. There would probably be fewer enemies, but far less competition.

His decision was made pretty quickly when the majority of the test takers rushed toward the center of the battle zone. "We'll stick to the outskirts!" He told Ochako. "There be too much competition if we rush into the battle zones center."

Ochako nodded, filling close behind him as they made a sharp turn. Izuku summing his Sacred Gear and activated Dragon Force, his dragonic wings spreading. "I'll take to the air and look for any robots. And remember not to use your Rook strength. We don't want to draw any unwanted attention."

"Right!"

Izuku took to the air, rising several stories above the streets. From above, he saw a group of three one-pointers and a two-pointer in an ally. "I see some! This way!" Izuku dive-bombed down sword the robots, sweeping over the one-pointers and landing behind the two-pointer with ease.

The two-pointer turned menacingly at Izuku. "Terminate!" The robot luged at Izuku. But the devil ducked underneath its attack.

_'__Promotion: Rook!'_

**[****Boost****!]**

With increased strength, Izuku easily tore off the robots armor plating. Using it he stabbed the robot right into its chest. The machine let out a hum before it shut down. "That's two," Izuku huffed.

"Release!"

Looking back, Izuku saw Ochako as the three one-pointers landed around her, each breaking.

"I got three!"

Izuku shield, before realizing, "It might not be a good idea to keep track of how many points we get. We only have 10 minutes so keeping track might waste time."

Ochako blinked, realizing he might be right. "Then what are we waiting for! Let's hurry!" He then ran on ahead of him.

"Hey, Ochako-san, wait up! We should stick together!"

* * *

It took a few seconds for Milia to realize that the exam had already started. When she did she noticed that everyone else had already rushed into the faux city. "Good luck, Takamaki!" Kyoka called out from the crowd.

Gasping, Milia quickly ran after them, running as fast as she could to keep up. She wanted to use her devil wings to get the advantage, but she knew it would be bad if she used them here. As such, she had no choice but to run on the ground like everyone else. All of the other applicants had already scattered throughout the fake city, including Kyoka, so there was little hope of Milia teaming up with the rocking girl. She'd just have to go after as many robots she could and hope for the best.

Suddenly, one of the robotic foes rushed out from an alleyway. Milia slid to a stop as the robot turned to face him with an ominous "Locked on target." It was a one-pointer. The easiest one, and Milia was glad for that. An easy target to face to get rid of her nerves.

The robot lunged at her. With grace, Milia waved her hand, and the robot was cut to pieces, each landing harmlessly around her. The reason why? Her fingers had grown into long claws.

**Milia Takamaki, Quirk: Spearfinger. She can turn the tips of her fingers into razor-sharp claws that can cut through almost anything and can extend up to 10 meters!**

Milia stared at the pile of scrap that was once a robot before a small smile spread across her face. That was the boost in confidence she needed. "That's one," she said, her claws retracting as she continued on her way. Time was short and she couldn't waste it.

* * *

"**DIIIIE!**"

An explosion marked the end of the two-pointer in front of him, but Bakugo Katsuki didn't stop to admire his handiwork. He jumped up and used the bucket of bolts as a springboard to get further away from the crowd of extras behind him. Sweat streamed from his arms thanks to the intense heat and exertion. He used it to sling more explosions at the small crowd of six robots heading dumbly towards them.

"You shitheads aren't going to get killed by anyone but me!" With a swing of his arm, explosions erupted from the ground below. The robots' progress was halted, but that wasn't the only reason for him hitting the ground and not the robots.

The extras behind him began to cough and wheeze, the smoke blocking their vision. Smiling that he dealt with the competition, for now, Bakugo bombarded the one-pointers with explosions, obliterating them with ease. He didn't even bother to count how many points he'd gotten by now. It didn't matter, for he knew he would take first place and get into U.A.

Leaving the extras behind, Bakugo used his explosions to propel himself through the faux city, searching for any other robots he'd send to robot hell.

"Target acquired."

Turns out, one found him. A three-pointer had stepped out of an ally, it's red eyes focused on Bakugo. He smirked as he landed in front of the robot. "You want to go, shithead? Good! I'LL KILL YOU RIGHT HERE AND-"

_*Slice!*_

Dark red energy ran up the robot for a brief moment before it suddenly split into, the halves falling apart briefly before it exploded.

Bakugou could only watch dumbfounded at what happened. Someone, somehow, stole his kill. Someone dared to take HIS kill! "Who the hell did that!?"

When the smoke from the explosions cleared, Bakugo saw it was the duel-toned boy from the lecture hall. The one who called out Glasses about Deku's stupid muttering. He was still wearing his sloppily worn school uniform, only now he was carrying a long, red sword.

"That's 27," he said, a stupidly cocky smile on this face.

"HEY!" Bakugo shouted, gaining the boy's attention. "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

"Uh, getting points?" he said. "I mean, we're all doing that, so it's kinda obvious."

"THAT WAS MY KILL! AND YOU STOLE IT!"

"Hey! Take your anger out on the robots, not me!"

"I INTEND TO, CLOWNFISH!"

'Clownfish' bilked at the nickname. "Clownfish? Really? _That's _the best you could come up with? You don't have anything more original?"

"SHUT UP AND STAY THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY!" Bakugo roared, propelling himself away.

Clownfish watched as Bakugo blasted off, presumedly to take his anger out on the poor robots. "Geez… That guy has issues. And that nickname… He reminds me of the lobster."

* * *

"ACHOO! Alright, who's talking about me?!"

* * *

Things could've been going better for Kyoka. She dug her right ear jack into the two-pointer to her right, piercing through the metal like paper. The sound of her amplified heartbeat was transferred into the robot, rocking the automaton with vibrations. The robot's insides obviously disagreed with the sounds bouncing around inside, quavering and smoking from the gaps in the armor. Once Kyouka removed the jack, the machine fell to the ground in a useless heap.

_'__That's twenty points…'_ Kyouka wiped her forehead, already sweating, and looked around._ 'It's going to be a pain to find more.'_

Her Quirk wasn't one suited to long-range combat, and as such she and a few other examines missed out on the initial wave of robots. Thus she was forced to take out the robots designated as 'hidden' villains, skulking in alleyways and sewers.

It was easy enough to find them thanks to her advance hearing. The problem was that she might not get to them in time to earn enough points. She was fairly confident she did well on the written exam, thanks to Momo's help, but the practical exam was more than she had bargained for. Thank god for the training she did with Momo, otherwise, she probably would be doing far worse right now.

She turned back to the street to find more robots but heard the crunching of gravel from above. _'Oh, you have got to be kidding!'_

Kyoka looked up to see a three-pointer staring down at her from the edge of the roof to her right. "Well, crap," she muttered as the robot jumped down towards her. She jumped back, shooting her jacks up.

But before her jacks could reach, the robot suddenly split in half, the two pieces missing her completely. "What the hell?" She turned to see the two halves crash into.

"Are you okay, Jiro-san?"

Kyoka turned back around to see the familiar face of Takamaki Milia running up to her, her fingers currently long claws.

"Yeah. Thanks for the save," Kyoka said. She then flashed a cheeky grin. "But don't you think you could've done it without kill-stealing?"

Milia suddenly looked flustered. "I-I didn't mean… I was just passing by, and saw that robot about to ambush you, so…"

As much as Kyoka would've liked to continued to watch her squirm, for both of their sakes she needed to cut this short. "Joking. Thanks a lot, but you really should focus on passing yourself. I trained just as much for this as you did, you know."

"…Maybe for a little longer than me…" she quietly said.

Kyoka noticed the sad tone, but before she could say anything, something in the corner of her eye caught her attention. "Look out!" She pushed Milia aside right as a fist that had a jet engine where the wrist should be flew by.

Milia beached from shock. That rocket fist would've hit her in the head had Kyoka not pushed her out of the way. "Thank you."

"No problem," Kyoka replied. "Now let's get moving so we can survive this insanity."

* * *

"HURRY UP LISTENERS!" Present Mic screamed into the loudspeaker. "You're halfway done now! And those robots aren't endless! You need to get'em while you still can! Pull out all the stops to get those Villain points! Say 'Hey' if y'all understand!"

Nobody responded. "Okay! That's all! I'll let you listeners know when we're reaching the end of this concert! Give it your all!" With that, Present Mic turned off the microphone and slumped in his chair. "Kids today are just no fun…" Just as before, no one proctoring the exam paid their co-worker any mind.

Currently, all of the U.A.'s hero staff were in a separate room, surveying each and every battle facility. They were paying close attention to each and every examinee. How they fight, how they react to everything, how they _act_. Every single detail was very important.

"Well, it looks like things are off to a fine start." Nezu took his teacup and sipped on it, managing to hold the fine china like an expert despite having no thumbs.

Considering how his Quirk made him more intelligent than any normal human, Nezu had probably figured out a work-around for that particular problem a lifetime ago.

"Yes," Yagi Toshinori rubbed his chin. "You've certainly got a bunch of promising kids applying today."

"That's one way to put it," Mizushima said, eyeing the monitor that was following Ochako. She couldn't help but smile at how they took down a group of two-pointers so easily. "Though some of them might need some work."

The pro heroes in the room all turned toward the monitor that showed Bakugo. He had already acclimated 70 points by now and was currently demolishing a three-pointer with his explosions. He then started yelling at some of the other examinees. "He may have an attitude, but look at him go." The ghost-themed hero Ectoplasm rubbed his chin while observing Bakugo. "He just keeps going and going, never stopping for a break and trying his damndest to destroy any robot in his path regardless of difficulty."

The Rated 18+ Hero Midnight chuckled at that. "Well, that's a long-winded way of saying that the boy has a lot of stamina." She gave the screen a coy smile. "These boys are certainly showing their stuff. If we whip them into shape, they'll become amazing in…"

"Midnight…"

"Come on, Ectoplasm, can't a girl crack a joke?" Midnight shrugged.

Shaking his head, Aizawa Shota turned his attention back to Bakugo._ 'Mizushima is right. Bakugo is going to be a handful.'_ He could already tell. That face certainly did not belong on a child trying to become a hero. He seemed like the type who valued and flaunted strength above all.

But what really caught Aizawa's attention were how some of the students seemed to be holding back, in particular, Midoriya Izuku, Uraraka Ochako, Shiozaki Ibara, Kido Hyde, Celica A. Mercery, and Takamaki Milia. Each of them moved and acted like they've been in combat before, and it was obvious to him that they were far more capable than they let on. Midoriya and Kido stuck out to him the most. While dragonic transformation Quirks weren't unheard of, every time Midoriya's left arm glowed his strength seemed to increase. There were no power type Quirks that can increase your own power like that, as far as he knew. And while Kido's dark energy manipulation didn't seem that unusual, the sword he seemingly pulled out of his hand certainly was. They could all tell how deadly it was, with the way he sliced apart a three-pointer that was harassing a couple of girls.

Aizawa was sure that at least Nedzu and All Might noticed this, based on how much they were paying attention to these examines in particular. He could tell that Mizushima, however, knew at least Uraraka. It still boggled him about how much the girl recovered after what happened. It was certainly a shock when Mizushima approached U.A., asking for a teaching position. The memory of the broken young women who couldn't even walk, let alone do hero work, was still ingrain deep within the minds of U.A.'s older staff.

While she didn't reveal much about her time in Katmandu, Nedzu had accepted her request to teach, likely because Mizushima's story would be a good example of the kind of dangers the students will face someday. Whatever the reason, Aizawa would have to trust the principles decisions for now.

"Two minutes left, boss-man," Present Mic announced.

"Then unleash the Executors," Nezu's face lit up in a worrying manner.

* * *

Ibara clasped her hands together, the vines that make up her hair digging through the ground. In seconds the four one-pointers and the three two-pointers were ensured by her vines. Rising several feet above the ground, the vines crushed the robots with ease. "Eight more points." She had lost count of how many points she accumulated, but she was positive it was around 30 by now.

She could've easily gotten far more than that, but many of the examinees in her battle center were struggling against most of the robots. As such she spent most of the time helping them deal with the robots, something that was easy for her due to her Quirk.

Nearby the ponytail girl she had met earlier, Kendo Itsuka, was doing something similar, helping a girl who was pinned by a displaced car… by lifting the car with her hands that had grown to an enormous size. "You okay?" Kendo asked

The girl, who had big lips and short gray hair that covered her left eye, stumbled slightly. "Thank you for moving that vehicular transport off of myself. I lacked the vigor needed to move it."

Kendo blinked. "Uh, you're welcome… I think."

Ibara had a decent idea on what the girl said, but before she could say anything, the ground began to shake. "W-what the…?!"

Screams of terror could be heard nearby, with several examinees pouring into the alleys.

"They call that an obstacle!?" a boy, shorter than the girls by almost a head and with weirdly round purple hair shrieked as he ran by them.

Soon the source of their terror became visible. "Oh, boy," Kendo gulped.

* * *

Hyde acted quickly, slicing up the three-pointer with ease. Once the machine was down, he turned to the two girls who were struggling against it. "You guy's okay?"

"Yeah," the first girl, who had pink skin and hair, black eyes and two yellow horns, said. "Thanks for that."

"…Thanks…" the other girl had shoulder-length, bob-shaped hair, side-swept to her right with some shorter strands hanging above her cerulean eyes. She spoke with a neutral expression on her face.

"Not much of a talker, are ya?" Hyde asked.

"As far as I canna tell, yep!" A third, bubbly girl's voice said.

"Waugh! Who said that?!" Hyde demanded, aiming his blade at the seemingly empty space.

"Wait! Wait! Calm down! Let me get my clothes back on!" The same voice said. Nearby a backpack seemingly opened on its own, a bar and panties coming and floating in the air, followed by a shirt and shorts. "That's better."

Hyde could hardly believe what he was seeing. A girl, a NAKED girl, had just put her clothes back on right in front of him. His face burned slightly at the sight. The only reason his entire head wasn't red was because, well, the girl was invisible.

"Oh, like what you see, do ya?" The pink girl teased. Hyde now noticed that she was wearing a rather form-fitting sports bra and shorts, which somehow put emphasis on her-

Hyde shook his head, stopping that train of thought as best he could. "Why the hell were you naked?!"

"So I could get to the robots off switches without them seeing me," the invisible girl replied.

"…These things have off switches?"

None of the girls didn't get a chance to answer him though, as they were interrupted by the sound of a building imploding nearby.

"What the heck was that?!" The pink-skinned girl exclaimed.

As the dust and smoke cleared, they could see something step out into view. "Shit," Hyde whispered.

* * *

"Ochako-san, where'd you go?" Izuku hissed. All it took for him to lose her was for her to head down an alleyway. After that he spent most of the exam looking for her, taking out any robots he found. After a few more twists and turns, and taking out a couple more robots, Izuku suddenly found himself in the fray of the battle. As he expected, there was more kill stealing going on with the main battle group than was smart. Not to mention that he heard people calling out their scores to each other.

He looked through the crowd, to seeing Ochako anywhere in it. _'She's not here. I need to keep looking.' _Izuku thought to himself when it seemed like the entire world suddenly exploded around them. Everyone stopped fighting when one of the buildings suddenly imploded, collapsing in on itself.

Before the smoke and dust had cleared from the collapsed building, everyone heard Present Mic yell, _["Less than two minutes remaining! So hurry it up, listeners!"]_

But no one was moving, because the dust had cleared and revealed the zero-pointer. It was the same shape as the printout. But the zero-pointer was taller than many of the buildings. It barely fit in the street and knocked free chunks of wood and stone every time it moved.

_'__Present Mic had said that it was just an obstacle or a distraction, something to be avoided, but that is a bit much!'_ Izuku doubted he had the power necessary to take something like it down right now, so it was fortunate that he and the other examinees weren't expecting to do so. Many of the other examinees were already running away from the zero-pointer as fast as they could, scattering in all directions. _'I better get out of here too.'_ Izuku turned to run away when he saw it.

Ochako was in the path of the zero-pointer. Her legs were trapped by the debris it had created. And she was at most two-seconds away from being stepped on. Even if she had strength comparable to Koneko's now, that didn't mean she was at all used to it yet.

_'__Promotion: Knight!'_ Izuku sped as fast as he could, reaching Ochako in a few seconds. He could try to lift the rock and get them both out of there, but that might take too long. So instead Izuku flew up, toward the robots face.

Within his Boosted Gear, energy gathered, ready to explode. "DRAGON SMASH!"

**[EXPLOSION!]**

Releasing the stored energy, Izuku punched the zero-pointer with all his might. What resulted was the head coming clean off as the body started falling apart. All the other examinees could only watch in awe as they saw Izuku taking down a robot bigger than a building with a single punch!

Izuku huffed with pride, gripping his arm as pain swelled within it. That attack was defiantly above what he could handle at the moment. "That did it." He smiled as he landed on the ground, before running over to Ochako. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Ochako looked to be in a daze, and Izuku now saw that a slight amount of blood was dripping down her head. "Give me a sec," with a grunt, Ochako lifted the boulder that pinned her with ease.

"What happened?"

"I'm not sure," Ochako replied. "When the zero-pointer showed up, I starting running with every else, but then a rock must've hit my head before that boulder pinned me."

_["__Five… four… three… two… one… TIME'S UP, LISTENERS!"] _When Present Mic finished his countdown, all of the remaining robots stopped moving. _["And that's all folks! U.A.'s Practical Exam is officially over! Please bring yourselves to the gates of your respective areas for any first-aid you require and to confirm how you will be leaving! The results for the exam will be mailed to you in a week! Lemme hear y'all say HEY!"]_

Nobody did that. Ochako, however, lowered her head in shame. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Izuku looked at her quizzically. "I shouldn't have run off like that. Because of me, we might not-"

"It's okay," Izuku told her. He took her arm and wrapped it around his head. "C'mon, let's go. We need to get your head looked at."

As the examinees watched Izuku and Ochako leave, muttering to themselves about what they saw, Iida Tenya could only watch in confusion. _'They're all missing the point. Don't they see what he did?'_ Tenya thought. _'He sacrificed everything. Just to save that girl. He must have known how little time was left, and how much points he needed to pass, and that he was putting his life at risk. But despite those concerns, he didn't hesitate to help.'_ Iida then clenched his fist as he remembered he had just run away without even trying to help. And how he belittled Izuku during the lecture hall. _'If this hadn't been an exam… then, of course, I would have done the same thing!'_

And then it hit him…

_'__Wait… the exam… the judges, they saw that!' _He realized as he held his chin. If that were the case… then maybe…

* * *

Over the next week, Izuku and Ochako worried themselves sick over the results. However, after the fact, Izuku was left wondering if he hadn't made a mistake. For the first few minutes of the test, they felt like they had performed pretty well. Ochako was having it the worst, blaming herself for both her and Izuku not being able to attend U.A.

Ibara and Inko had been able to provide some support for them, but both were also worried about them. The other members of Gremory peerage did their best to help as well. After about five days, Momo had received news about her results, saying that she had been accepted into U.A.

"So you're officially a recommendations student now, huh?" Yuuto asked, sipping some tea in the clubroom.

"Yes," Momo practically beamed with joy.

"Did you fight robots like us?" Ibara asked.

"No, it was more of a series of obstacle courses," Momo answered. "Me and the other recommended students raced each other. I managed to achieve first place, while a girl who could split her body reached second. There was really no combat involved."

"Lucky," Kyoka groaned. "Those robots were a real pain. Uraraka and Midoriya nearly died because of them, didn't they?"

The two in question laughed nervously. "I doubt the staff would've let that happen," said Rias. "But I am proud of all of you. I'm sure you all passed."

"…But, what if we didn't?" Ochako asked.

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see, now won't we?"

* * *

It was now March, about a week since the entrance exam. A week of waiting with some combat training with Yuuto to relieve stress had passed before he, Ochako, and Ibara returned home one day to find Inko fretting over the mail. The stamp at the back of each letter was all that they needed to confirm who sent it.

"T-This is it…"

The three made their way to Izuku's room and closed the door. Izuku sat at his desk with only the desk lamp on as a light course. He had set his letter in front of him and was just staring at it. Ibara was sitting on the bed while Ochako stood behind him, each holding onto their respective letter.

"…Moment of truth," Izuku took off the seal with his trembling fingers and opened the letter. He peeked inside to see a small thin disk. "What the…?" He took it up and saw 'place this side on a smooth flat surface' written on the back. Shrugging to himself, he complied and put the disk onto his desk.

After a small beep, a hologram appeared in the air above. It was All Might, dressed in a yellow suit that seemed to barely contain his physique. Behind him was a stage that flashed red, blue, and yellow.

_"_**_I AM HERE AS A PROJECTION!_**_"_ All Might began, grinning at the camera.

The three jumped back in shock, with Izuku almost falling out of the chair. The disk was a holographic projector. And just like he announced, All Might was the one on the screen.

"All Might?!" Ochako gasped.

"OHMYGOSH!" Izuku's jaw hit the floor as the image of All Might laughed at his own 'joke'. "A-All Might is recording these!? But they wouldn't do that unless… Unless All Might is going to be teaching!"

It took everything Izuku had to not faint.

_"_**_I know I've been quiet this past week, but with great power comes a great amount of paperwork._**_"_ All Might then cleared his throat and did a light bow. _"_**_I apologize. The truth is, I didn't come to this city just to fight villains. You're looking at the newest U.A. Faculty member!_**_"_

The three let out a loud gasp. All Might… was going to be a teacher at U.A.?! "He's seriously going to be working at U.A.?" Ibara asked.

Surprisingly, All Might nodded as if he actually acknowledged Ibara's question. But suddenly a hand came onto the screen.

_"__Stop showboating, will you?"_ A familiar voice said before stepping into view.

_"_**_Hm, who's showboating, Young Mizushima?_**_"_

"MIZU-SAN/ONEECHAN?!"

_"__Uh, you,"_ Mizu matter-of-factly said. _"We need to wrap this up. We have at least a dozen more to do."_

_"_**_Of course._**_"_ All Might let out a sigh and kept going. _"_**_Right, moving on. Young Midoriya, you have passed the written exam with a score of over 90%, which is more than enough to generate you a spot at U.A.! For the piratical, you scored 28 points. Normally, that wouldn't be enough to enter the Heroics Course._**_"_

Izuku lowered his head dejectedly at that, tears beginning to swell in Ochako's eyes due to guilt, while Ibara looked to them pity.

_"_**_IF the practical was based solely on combat prowess!_**_"_

…What?

Izuku and the girls slowly looked up to the screen.

_"__He's right. While Villain Points are the basic measurement we use to judge applicants, it's not the only one,"_ Mizu continued as a video of when Izuku saved Ochako from the zero-pointer was shown.

_"_**_Such conviction… such selflessness! As the bastion of Japan's future Heroes, it would be foolish of us to ignore these qualities important for all Heroes!_**_" _All Might returned to the stand and flashed his signature grin._ "_**_As such, we have an entirely different category for such acts, rated by a panel of judges! Rescue Points! And my boy… you have the highest of the lot: sixty points! Congratulations!_**_"_

Izuku could hardly believe what he heard. The 28 villain points he got, along with the 60 rescue points meant that… he had gotten a total of 88 points!

_"_**_Now then, welcome Young Midoriya… to your Hero Academia!_**_" _All Might and Mizu thrusted their fists into the air.

_"_**_PLUS ULTRA!_**_"_

Izuku began to cry. Behind him he heard Ibara and Ochako opening their letters, finding the same holodiscs that came in Izuku's. The messages that they had were similar to Izuku's, giving them their scores for both the written and partial exams. Ibara had earned 82 points in the practical, while Ochako had 60, which meant…

The two began to cry tears of joy along with Izuku before they went over to Izuku, hugging each other. They made it.

**A/N:**

**For those of you wanting to know, here are the test rankings**

**No. 1: Midoriya Izuku, Villain Points: 28, Rescue Points: 60, Total: 88**

**No. 2: Liana Kozuki, Villain Points: 50, Rescue Points: 35, Total: 85**

**No. 3: Shiozaki Ibara, Villain Points: 30, Rescue Points: 52, Total: 82**

**No. 4: Kido Hyde, Villain Points: 39, Rescue Points: 40, Total: 79**

**No. 5: Bakugo Katsuki, Villain Points: 77, Rescue Points: 0, Total: 77**

**No. 6: Kirishima Eijiro, Villain Points: 39, Rescue Points: 35, Total: 74**

**No. 7: Kendo Itsuka, Villain Points: 25, Rescue Points: 40, Total: 65**

**No. 8: Jiro Kyoka, Villain Points: 26, Rescue Points: 37, Total: 63**

**No. 9: Iida Tenya, Villain Points: 52, Rescue Points, 9, Total: 61**

**No. 10: Uraraka Ochako, Villain Points: 35, Rescue Points: 25, Total: 60**

**No. 12: Milia Takamaki, Villain Points: 23, Rescue Points: 35, Total: 58**

**I included Milia because I'm sure some of you wanted to know how well she did. If you're wondering who's in 11th, it's Tetsutetsu. The scores are mostly the same as they were in canon, if you couldn't tell. But man, Bakugo will flip his lid when he finds out he scored 5th, huh? Too bad that'll have to wait.**

**EDIT: Decided to change up the rankings a bit. Just replaced Celica with Liana.**


	15. The Arrogant Phenex

The next day went by surprisingly fast. Last night they had told Inko the good news and she pretty much cried tears of joy until she passed out. Once school was done for the day, Izuku, Ibara, and Ochako made their way to the clubroom to meet the others as quickly as they could. Izuku still couldn't believe it. He was going to the school of his dreams. And with friends that he felt he had known his whole life! All thanks to Rias. Nothing could ruin how he was feeling right now. Not even a berserk Kacchan!

"Guys!" Ochako exclaimed as they entered the clubroom. No one was present, however, except for Rias. "Huh? Guess we're got here first."

"I'm not surprised. Izuku-san was rather hard to keep up with," said Ibara.

"Yeah, hehe," Izuku laughed.

Rias was looking off into space with some wondering expression, apparently oblivious to their presence.

"I hope Mizu-oneechan gets here soon. She _seriously_ needs to explain herself!" Ochako huffed.

"Do you really think she's going to be teaching at U.A.?" Ibarra asked.

"We'll find out," Izuku then noticed that Rias hadn't reacted to them at all. "Buchou, is something wrong?" Izuku asked. Rias didn't respond, the blank expression still on her face.

"Buchou?" Ibara asked, looking concerned. Still no answer.

"Buchou?" Ochako waved a hand in front of Rias' face. Still nothing. Finally, Ochako took hold of Rias' shoulder and began to shake her violently. "BUCHOU!"

Rias shrieked loudly as Ochako shook her, nearly falling out of her chair. She casted a hard glare at Ochako when she finished shaking her. "You could've done something else, Ochako," she growled.

"Buchou, are you okay?" Izuku asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine Izu," Rias answered, "I was spacing out was all. Anyway, I got your texts. Congratulations on passing the exam!"

"Thanks."

Turning around, the group saw Kyoka enter the clubroom, followed by Momo, Yuuto, Koneko, and Mizu. "Hey! I was wondering when you'd get here," Ochako said with her cheery smile.

"Looks like everyone's here," Mizu notated. "ice job on passing the exam, Chako. I was secretly rooting for you!"

"You saw what we went through?!" Ochako asked. "Why didn't you stop that monster, then? And why didn't you tell me you were going to be teaching at U.A.?!"

"One, I knew you would be okay. And two, I wanted to surprise you!" The older woman answered.

"What was All Might like?!" Izuku asked, his fanboyism taking hold.

"A lot like he is on TV," Mizu kept the part about All Might's skeletal state secret. "And before you all ask, I only just started working at U.A., so I don't know who you'll be assigned to or what class you'll be placed in."

"What will you be teaching, Mizu-sama?" Momo asked.

"I'll be helping with combat training, mostly hand-to-hand," Mizu smiled. "So don't expect me to go easy on you."

"Speaking of classes, do you think we'll end up in the same homeroom?" Kyoka asked. "Shitori's on the student council, right? You think she can-"

"She might," Rias said. "But Principle Nedzu is incredibly intelligent. It'll rouse suspicion if she requests all of you end up in the same class, so don't get your hopes up."

The soon to be hero students all frowned, not liking their chances already.

"I know it doesn't seem fair," Rias spoke up, getting everyone's attention. "But even if we're all in different classes and departments, we're all still going to U.A. The best hero school in the country."

"She's right," Mizu said. "Besides, it's not like you'll be separated forever, just during classes. And I'll be helping train all of you to be great heroes! So let's focus on the positives for now. Now, are you gonna keep mopping or are we gonna go celebrate? There's a special going on at Big Bang Burger."

Everyone brightened up, even Koneko (somewhat). "You're treat?" The white-haired devil asked.

The sorcerer blanched.

* * *

A few minutes of walking later and the group arrived at the Big Bang Burger that was only two blocks away from U.A. There weren't many customers at the moment, so they made their orders and sat down. Soon their food arrived. Most of them made ordered the normal menu items. Koneko, on the other hand…

"Here you are, miss. The Cosmic Tower Burger," the waitress placed what could only be described as a tower of meat, lettuce, cheese, sauce, and buns in front of Koneko. It stood at least a meter tall and was as wide as someone's head!

Everyone in the restaurant, with the notable exceptions of Rias, Yuuto, and the staff, all turned to stare at the massive burger.

"It's massive…"

"I'm honestly at a loss for words…"

Izuku could only stare at the massive challenge Koneko asked for, the waitress explaining the details about the burger before leaving, saying Koneko only had thirty minutes to finish the burger. "Is she going to be okay?" He asked.

"She'll be fine," Rias replied as she took a bite of her burger.

_Twenty Minutes Later_

"Can I have dessert?" Koneko asked the waitress, having just finished the Cosmic Tower.

_'__Is she for real?!'_

* * *

"At least I saved some of my paycheck," Mizu groaned as they left the restaurant.

"Ugh, those burgers were monsters…" Ochako groaned, holding her stomach. "I should've gotten a smaller size…"

"Thinking about Koneko-chan eating that Cosmic Tower Burger makes me wanna vomit," Ibara added.

As everyone walked together, trying to cheer them up from eating too much, Izuku felt someone watching them. The feeling wasn't good at all and before he could look behind to see who it was…

"_Deku…_"

Everyone stopped immediately. Some of them recognized that voice. They turned around to see someone that made Izuku flinch.

"K-Kacchan!?" Izuku said in surprise at seeing the ash-blond right behind them looking at him with an expression that wasn't all too happy.

"…How'd you do it?" He said quietly, making Izuku raise a brow.

"E-excuse me?" Izuku asked as he didn't quite hear what the explosion Quirk user said.

"I said… HOW THE FUCK DID YOU GET IN?!" Bakugo suddenly roared, making Izuku take a step back and the others to glare at him.

"Would you just lay off him?" Ochako said as she stepped forward in defense of Izuku.

"What?" Bakugo said irritably as he glared at the girl in front of him.

"She said to stand down," Ibara said as she stood next to Ochako.

Bakugo growled and let off smoke from his hands. "I DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH YOU TWO BITCHES RIGHT NOW!" He yelled at them before glaring at the boy behind the girls. "NOW TELL ME HOW YOU CHEATED!"

"Wh-what?" Izuku stuttered at his former childhood friends words. "I-I didn't cheat!"

"DON'T PLAY DUMB WITH ME, DEKU!" The ash-blond roared as he stomped his foot on the ground hard. "THERE'S NO WAY A LOSER LIKE YOU GOT FIRST WHILE SOMEHOW I GOT FUCKING FIFTH! NOW TELL ME HOW YOU-"

_*Slap!*_

Suddenly Bakugo was violently interrupted by Rias, who slapped him so hard he tumbled to the ground. "Leave him alone!"

Bakugo managed to sit back up on hold his right eye and used his left to send a death glare towards the crimson-haired girl. "Why you-"

"That's enough!" Izuku suddenly spoke up directing everyone's attention to him. "I don't care what you say, or what you think. I applied because I have people who believe in me! People who said I could be a hero! So like it or not you can't stop me!"

Yuuto nodded at his friend's words. "Izuku-kun and the others are going to U.A. They're going to become amazing heroes."

"You hear that?! There's no stopping us now!" Kyoka said with a confident smirk as she crossed her arms.

"Now get lost, asshole," Koneko deadpanned, the white-haired girl glaring at him while cracking her knuckles.

Bakugo gave the group the most intense look he's ever given anyone before as he got up. "Just you all wait. I'll make all of you regret coming to U.A." He growled darkly before storming off.

As they watched him leave, Mizu just shook her head. "That guy has some serious issues."

"Yeah, but he is strong, there's no denying that," Izuku said quietly. He looked at his hand, clenching it into a fist.

Sensing the situation, Ochako decided to speak up. "Hey, why don't we all go home? It's getting late and we need all the rest we can for when U.A. starts up."

Everyone turned to Ochako and nodded with a smile at her suggestion. "Yeah, I'm pretty exhausted, too," Momo stated with everyone else nodding in agreement.

"Classes don't start until April, so you all have about a month until then." Said Mizu. "Be sure to get plenty of rest, but don't slack off on your training. Speaking of, Chako, we have lessons tonight."

"…I was kinda hoping you forgot," she groaned.

The group laughed a little before they went their separate directions. Though Izuku couldn't help but notice the troubled look on Rias' face.

* * *

The first thing Izuku did when returning home was lying back on his bed with an exhausted sigh. His mom was out buying groceries, Ibara having gone with her, and Ochako won't be back until dinner. So he had the apartment to himself for a little bit. He thought back to how Rias was acting. Lately, she'd been spacing out more and more. "I wonder what's bothering her?" He asked no one in particular.

Suddenly, the lights in his room began to dim and the air pressure slightly shifting. "Huh?" A crimson light shined his room, prompting him to sit up. To his surprise, it was a magic circle that bore the symbol of the Gremory family. The glow died out as quickly as it came, and he could see Rias standing where it once was. Though her bangs seemed to be shielding her eyes he noted that her expression had no emotion. "Eh? Buchou? What is it? Is something wrong?"

"Izuku…" her bangs cleared away from her eyes, a look of desperation appearing on her face. Izuku could tell that she looked very troubled by something and knew that she was going to ask for his help, which he would instantly give no matter what. But the words she said next he was not ready for. "…I want you to make love with me."

Izuku blinked.

And then he blinked twice.

"S-say what?" was the only thing Izuku could say, standing up.

"I said I want you to take my virginity," Rias rephrased as if she were lecturing him. And just like that, she began stripping, first removing her blazer, unbuttoning her shirt, and then undoing her skirt, leaving her with nothing more than her bra and panty. Izuku felt himself swallow spit as he ogled Rias' body, unable to look away. The lacy red bra and panty she wore complimented her very nicely, something that Izuku noted to himself. He was completely paralyzed just from her body, unable to react and know what to do. "…I'm not good enough for you?" she asked him, walking up to him.

"What?! No- I mean… yes- I mean… but you're- I mean… what are you doing?" Izuku stumbled through his words as his face turned as red as a tomato.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking as of late, and I've decided that this is the only option there is," Rias answered, holding her arms under her breasts and turning away slightly as she blushed. "If there is evidence, then they can't complain about it. The only person close to me who is able to do it with me is you."

"Um, me?" Izuku stuttered. "Can I ask why?"

"Of the boys I personally know there is Yuuto, but he won't have any of it. He is too pure of a knight and his chivalry would get in the way. The same is true for the other one. That only leaves you," before Izuku could answer to her logic, she grabbed him by the shirt and forced him onto the bed. He held his head up just in time to see her climbing on top of him and straddling his waist, "What's wrong? Do you not find me attractive enough?"

"It's not like that!" Izuku denied, shaking his head. "It's just that when a pretty girl shows up in a boy's room unannounced and-and suddenly says 'let's have sex', it's gonna catch him off guard!"

"…True, it would startle anyone," her body shifted, and he could feel her buttocks and thighs touching his most important part. Her head dipped slightly so that she was directly above him and her crimson hair cascaded against his cheeks. "I know this is your first time, but it's the same for me. So let's just take it slow." Looping her arms around her back, she unhooked her bra and carelessly tossed it aside. His eyes widened. Before him were Rias' luscious breasts and plumped pink nipples. Then, she took his hand and pressed it against her right breast. Izuku could really feel how soft it felt against his hand, and how the nipple began to harden against his palm. It was just… so damn good! "Can you feel it?" she asked in a charming voice, "I'm just as tense as you are. You can tell by my heartbeat, right?"

_'__WHAT IS HAPPENING?!' _Izuku screamed in his head. He was seriously freaking out now. This has been the closest he has ever been with any girl. Looking up, he saw the look in his master's eyes. His eyebrows furrowed. Those weren't the eyes of someone who wanted to have sex willingly. His jitters slightly left his body as he gripped Rias by the shoulders and slowly pushed her so he could sit. "Buchou, take a break for a minute. You aren't acting like… you."

Rias blinked, her eyes becoming more desperate, "What do you mean?"

"Well, ask yourself this: do you really want to do this?" Izuku asked.

"Of course I do!" she shouted, shocking him. "There's no one else I can do it with! The one I want is you right now! We made have met months ago but there really isn't any other way!"

"What do you mean there's no other way? Why are you in such a hurry to give up your virginity?" Izuku asked in a calm, yet startled voice.

Rias could have responded with another plea, but that didn't come out when another crimson flash appeared in his room, alerting the teenagers on the bed. Rias clicked her tongue, "I was so close…"

Izuku turned and noticed that the red glow came from another magic circle that had the mark of Rias' clan. Who was it? Kiba? Momo? Whoever it was, getting caught in such a situation was bad. But instead of any of his friends coming out, it was someone else completely.

She was an attractive-looking woman with silver hair that flowed down to her back and red eyes. Her hair had two braided side bangs with small blue bows at the ends, while the rest of it was let down in the back, also ending in twin braids, and a maid's headdress on her head. She was dressed in a blue and white French maid uniform. Her lips were painted a bright red. She was also looking at Rias with a look of disapproval and her gaze seemed to cause the temperature in the room to drop. "Milady, are you trying to break the engagement by doing something like this?" she asked curtly.

_'__Engagement?'_

Rias frowned and stood up from the bed in all her naked glory, "Father and 'zechs won't listen to me! It's the only way to get them to notice!"

"Even if it means giving up your purity to someone of lowly birth?" the maid continued, gesturing at Izuku. Izuku scowled at the offense, forgetting at the moment that he was in bed with a nude girl.

"Who I give my purity to is my decision and mine alone," Rias answered, her eyes flashing quickly, "And I won't have you speak insultingly of my servant, even if it's you Grayfia." Izuku couldn't help but blush and smiled softly at how Rias quickly stood up for him.

The maid, now identified as Grayfia, sighed as she picked up Rias's bra and snapped it back on her bosom. "Please remember that you are the next heiress of the House of Gremory, so please don't show your skin to a man recklessly. It's not a good image for your reputation." She noticed that Izuku was still in the room and gave a polite bow. "Greetings, servant of Rias. I am Grayfia, the head maid of the House of Gremory. My apologies for what I said before."

Catching himself, Izuku got up from his bed and also bowed, stuttering, "Th-that's fine ma'am."

"Grayfia," Rias began, her face showing unladylike unpleasantness, "Did you come here of your own accord? Or because the household sent you? Or was it 'zechs?"

"All three," Grayfia said matter-of-factly. From the way Rias' frown deepened, she didn't like the answer.

"Given the fact that you're his Queen, I should have known you'd pull something like this," Rias gave an exasperated sigh as she placed on the remainder of her clothing. "Sorry about this, Izuku," she said to him, "I guess I wasn't thinking straight after all. Thank you for talking me out of it."

"Uh… okay," Izuku nodded dumbly.

"'Izuku'?" Grayfia echoed, looking at him with sudden interest, "So, this boy is…"

"Yes," Rias confirmed, "This is Midoriya Izuku, one of my newest additions, the one who cost me all eight of my Pawn Pieces to recruit, and bearer of the Boosted Gear."

"So he is the Red Dragon Emperor… truly curious," Grayfia said in amazement, eyes widening slightly.

"Grayfia, let's go back to my room. I will listen to what you have to say over there. Momo can also attend, yes?" Rias asked.

"You're newly acquired Queen?" Grayfia said. "That doesn't bother me. A Queen must be by their King's side at all times."

"Very well." Rias turned to Izuku and gave him a small peck on the cheek. "That's my apology for troubling you. Meet up at the club room tomorrow and I'll explain everything." After she gave her farewell, she went up next to Grayfia. The magic circle appeared underneath them both and they vanished in a blink of light. As the lights turned back to the normal brightness, Izuku stood, dumbfounded, touching the cheek where she kissed him. He was left in such a shock that he didn't even notice when his mom or the girls came home.

* * *

The following day, Izuku, Ochako, and Ibara were walking to the club school building. Kyoka had come along, saying something about Momo needing to meet with Rias last night. They had received a notice to report to the club room as soon as classes had finished. On their way over to the room, they met up with Yuuto. The five of them entered the building, wondering what the urgent meeting was about.

"I wonder if Buchou's worries have something to do with her family," Ibara wondered out loud.

"She has been acting a bit strangely as of late," Yuuto said, agreeing, "Perhaps now she will tell us."

"Do you think Momo-san might know?" Izuku asked.

"Considering that she's her second-in-command now, that's a given," Yuuto told him. "We won't know unless we hear what she has to say."

Izuku nodded quietly, still pretty puzzled about what happened last night. He was still wondering what could have made Rias act so irrationally to want to try and have sex with him. Though he knew he would get his answer eventually, he still couldn't help but think. On their way to the room, they came across a very large door. For some odd reason, it had police tape with the words "keep out" all over it. "What's that? I don't remember seeing that door before."

"Oh…" Yuuto frowned slightly, "That's where Buchou's first Bishop currently resides."

"Her first Bishop?" Ochako asked, turning at him.

"Oh yeah, I remember Buchou mentioning that she had one other Bishop piece," Izuku said, recalling the conversation he had with her the night he went to save Ibara.

"Yes. He's one of Buchou's original servants, but for reasons I won't elucidate Buchou was ordered to keep him here," seeing their grim expressions, he gave a kind smile, "Don't worry, he's not bad. He's actually very nice. The problem is that he's a hikikomori and he's very uncomfortable with stepping outside. So, he just sits in that room all day and night, and he's perfectly fine with it."

"Sounds like someone needs to grow a spine," Kyoka stated.

"To be fair…" Yuuto began before he felt a sudden chill go down his spine. Agitated, he looked forward at the hallway that led to the club room. "I never felt this presence until I got here. Then that means…!" He ran to the club's door with Izuku, Ibara, Ochako, and Kyoka close behind. The door opened and the five was greeted with the sight of the remainder of their friends. Mizu stood near the entrance, leaning against the wall while Koneko sat at one of the couches, quietly enjoying an ice pop. Their master was also present and she was sitting on the couch rather than her usual desk, her arms folded, her legs crossed, and a grim expression. The head maid, Grayfia, stood by the couch Rias was sitting. Grayfia looked just as stoic from the last time Izuku saw her, while Momo stood in an elegant stance, but she looked very nervous.

"Looks like everyone's here," Rias said, noticing the three of them enter the room.

"Milady, shall I tell them?" Grayfia offered.

Rias shook her head. "No. As I am the King of this group I should be the one to tell them," Rias stood up and cleared her throat. "Everyone, to tell you the truth…"

Before anything more could be said, a magic circle appeared in an unoccupied space of the room. The magic circle was not red like the Gremory magic circles Izuku had seen so frequently. Instead, it was orange and seemed to give off the cry of a bird of prey. There was even a bird-like figure in the center of the circle. Everyone turned as soon the circle appeared and Rias seemed to give out an evil hiss at the sight of it.

"Phenex…" Izuku heard Yuuto whisper under his breath.

Rather than giving out a glow, flames shot out from the circle instead. Out from the tower of flames, a man appeared within.

"Ah… it's been a long time since I've last visited the human world," the man spoke, walking out from the flames as if they were air. Just looking at the way he carried himself, he seemed like a typical playboy. He was tall and handsome and looked to be in his early 20's and had short blond hair with dark blue eyes. Clearly, he had a lot of money since he was wearing something very expensive. He was wearing a red burgundy blazer with gold embroidery on the right, matching pants and black dress shoes. Underneath the open blazer was a white dress shirt that partially exposed his chest. Looking around the room as the flame behind him vanished, he smirked as he spotted the only redhead among them, "My dear Rias, it's been so long," he said, walking over to the girl and wrapping his arm around her shoulder. Her face twisted in disgust as she shoved him off of her.

"Don't touch me so casually," Rias said coldly, "If I had my way, I'd slap you in your smug-prick face right now." Izuku, Ibara, Momo, Kyoka, and Ochako's eyes widened from how sharp her words were.

The man took it to stride as he gave a nonchalant laugh. "Hahaha… still harsh as always, love. Regardless, we must take a look at the wedding hall. We need to verify the reception date and greet our families."

"Wedding? Reception date?" Izuku frowned. From the look of Rias reaction towards the man, not to mention what she tried to do last night, everything was starting to click. He was starting to understand why she wanted to do it with him yesterday. If her purity was compromised, then she could have had some bit of freedom to herself. Seeing how carefree he was to the girl despite her obvious rejections made him really want to punch him in the face, or something like that. But someone had already beaten him to it.

"Who's the gigolo?"

Various reactions swept through the clubroom. Rias had a large smirk on her face, seeing the man's stunned face. Momo, Izuku, and Yuuto snickered quietly while Ibara gave a short yelp. Kyoka tried her best not to laugh out loud. Ochako blushed hard, not expecting her teacher to say that. Koneko gave a small grin as she snorted, while Grayfia didn't seem to react much at all. As for the man, he glared at Mizu.

"How dare you!" He hissed. "Do you have any idea who you just mocked?!"

"I most certainly do, Phenex." Mizu calmly stated.

"Please allow me to introduce to you Riser Phenex," Grayfia interjected, gesturing at the man. "He is the third son of the House of Phenex of the 72 Pillars… and he is also Lady Rias' fiancé."

_'__FIANCÉ!?'_ A majority of the group mentally screamed.

* * *

"Hm… excellent tea," Riser smiled blissfully after taking a sip from the teacup. "As expected from Rias' new Queen. I'll look forward to more soon." He was sitting on the couch with his arm around Rias, who looked like she would rather be anywhere but with him. The rest of the servants were also standing around them, each one looking almost pitiable.

Momo said nothing but gave a polite bow, likely holding her tongue. Though she did give Kyoka a wink, which the human returned before smirking. "I can only imagine what she'll serve during our wedding," Riser added.

Rias stomped her foot, "Again with that? Riser, I already told you that I will not marry you!"

"You know that isn't for you to decide," Riser said, his voice becoming serious, "As you already know, the number of pureblood devils has drastically decreased thanks to the Great War. Our marriage is vital to continue the survival of our people, as well as flourishing our households name."

Rias rubbed her temples, "You don't need to tell me that. I am well aware of my duties as heiress of my clan and I am willing to take a husband."

"So you'll-!"

"However!" she interrupted, looking at Raiser's victorious face, "The husband I want will be of my choosing. In case you have forgotten it was our parents who arranged the marriage while I didn't want any part of it. They didn't have the right of selecting someone I would spend the rest of my life with without my consent. And that man isn't you, nor will it ever be."

The Gremory servants, Mizu and Kyoka included, smiled at Rias' unyielding determination. But then the temperature started to rise up and everyone quickly took notice. A flaming aura in the shape of a bird engulfed Riser as he glared at Rias. "You're selfish opinions matter very little. As a member of the Phenex, I cannot lose face to rejection," he spoke, his cold voice contrasting with the heat. He reached out and took Rias' chin into his hand, tucking her head up to his glowing orange eyes, "One way or another I will take you back as my wife, even if it means burning your servants into ash!"

Rias' eyes glowed in an angry red, her own demonic aura starting to take shape. "If you dare touch even a single strand of hair on any of them, I'll-"

"HALT!"

Rias and Riser jumped back from each other, their aura's suddenly disappearing as they both turned to the maid, frightened. Her demonic aura leaked out of her body, easily dwarfing theirs. The room temperature went from hot to cold as Grayfia sent an icy cold glare at them. "I did not bring you both here just to incite violence. And I will not hold back if you disobey again. Am I clear?"

Izuku felt his bones shaking just from looking at Grayfia. She was a maid, yet she seemed to be stronger than both Rias and Riser combined. The later calmly placed his hands in his pockets, trying to save face, "I know when not to challenge the Silver-Haired Queen of Annihilation. Honestly, Lucifer's Peerage are all abnormal, even by devil standards."

_'__Silver-Haired Queen of Annihilation?!' _Izuku thought to himself, looking at Grayfia. The aura alone told him that the woman meant business and she was someone not to be taken lightly. He made a mental note to _never_ piss her off.

Grayfia's aura disappeared and the room temperature returned to normal as she continued, "Nevertheless, Sirzechs and the other representatives foresaw this possibility and enacted an alternate solution, if you both are willing that is."

"An alternate solution?" Rias blinked, "What you're saying is…"

Grayfia nodded, "Yes. An unofficial Rating Game will take place between the Gremory Peerage and the Phenex Peerage. Should Rias win, the engagement will be called off. But if Riser wins, the wedding will proceed."

"Che… a Rating Game," Rias frowned. "They really are content with controlling my life, aren't they?"

Riser, on the other hand, laughed confidently, "A Rating Game? That's perfectly fine with me. This will be a good opportunity to show you your place, that there is nothing that can come between us, dear Rias."

"Already so full of confidence," Rias sneered, "Very well, I will accept your challenge. This is my one chance to get my freedom and I'll enjoy knocking you off of your high horse!"

Grayfia glanced at the heirs and nodded, "Then it's decided. The Rating Game between the Gremory family and the Phenex family is confirmed. I will inform Sirzechs and both of your households."

Riser turned and glanced at the rest of the servants in the room, "Rias, are these people all the servants you have at this time?"

"Some are. What of it?" Rias asked.

Riser exploded in laughed, "Hahahaha! Surely you don't think you can win with such a small amount, do you? From what I can see, only your Queen stands a possible chance against my cute servants!"

With a snap of his fingers, a much larger orange circle appeared in the room. A flame pillar burst out of it and simmered to reveal 15 beautiful women standing in the circle. Each one of them either wore an exotic outfit or some other clothing that fulfilled a specific fetish.

"As you can see, I have a complete set," Riser boasted smugly, gesturing to the group of women. "My Pawns, Rooks, Knights, Bishops, and Queen are all present."

_'__Holy crap,'_ Izuku thought. He looked at each one of the servants one by one. There were those who were wearing gym shorts, maid outfits, kimonos, and other things. One of them he noticed looked very similar to Riser thanks to the matching blue eyes and blond hair, and from the lovely looking purple dress she seemed to be more like a princess than a servant. If Izuku didn't know any better, he would say that she was his younger sister.

Riser casted a smirk at Rias, "Do you see this, Rias? Do you honestly think your weak servants stand a chance against mine?"

Rias casted a hateful glare at Riser. "If you ever again insinuate my peerage is weak I'll-"

"You'll do what?" Riser mocked. "Bore me into retiring? You knew very well that I've never lost a Rating Game. Aside from your Queen, all I see is a flat-chested loli, two innocent little girls who couldn't hurt a fly, a pretty boy, and an unassuming Pawn. None of them can compare to my servants."

"Do not disrespect my family, Riser! I will not tolerate that!" Rias screamed.

"Family? I see the Gremory compassion and kindness for their servants runs true in you. Very well then. When we are married, your boys will be put to work as slaves and your girls… well now, I can always use some variety in my sex life."

Izuku's mind went blank at that last bit. The high-class devil had basically admitted that he would take not just Rias, but her female servants to his bed as well. The thought of Momo, Ochako, Ibara, and Koneko forced to submit to this bastard… It just enraged him. He never felt this angry before in his life.

From the way most of the other women reacted, particularly Mizu, they too found him disgusting. Even some of Riser's own peerage seemed unamused by his declaration. Riser, seemingly noticing the anger in Izuku's eyes, spoke to him. "I seem to have offended you somehow, Pawn; should you like, I will gladly kill you in the Rating Game."

"ENOUGH RISER!" Rias screamed. "TOUCH HIM AND YOU'LL DIE!"

"Ho ho, I've seemed to have found a weakness in you, my dear. Very well then, then I shall show mercy. You can train all you want before our game, but then and there I will break your pitiful toys."

"Very well then," Grayfia interjected. "Lady Rias, should you find it acceptable, the match will be held ten days after tomorrow."

"Thank you Grayfia," Rias spoke softly. "Thank you."

"It is done. Details of the game shall be sent to you both."

"It matters not! My victory is assured!" With that, Riser raised both his arms as if already celebrating his triumph. "Farewell, my dear Rias! When next we meet, we shall truly be man and wife! As for some of your servants," Riser glared at Izuku, "Well, all deaths in the Game are accidents after all-"

_*Growl!*_

Riser suddenly blushed. "Oh dear…" That growl from his stomach did not sound good. As another growl emanated from him, the entire opposing peerage disappeared via orange transport glyphs in the floor. As for Grayfia, she gave a small bow before taking her leave on her magic circle. Once they were gone, Momo and Kyoka both began to snicker.

"What did you do?" Rias asked, an amused look on her face.

"It was Kyoka's idea," Momo admitted. "I added some… very strong laxatives to his tea."

"How long will it last?" Rias snickered.

"If I had to guess, maybe a couple of days."

The reactions were mixed. Rias, Ibara, and Yuuto chuckled in amusement, Koneko _smirked_, Ochako desperately covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing, Mizu began rolling on the floor laughing, and Izuku snickered.

Once everyone calmed down, Rias was the first to speak as she turned her gaze on Izuku, "Are you going to be okay, Izu?"

"I'll be fine," Izuku replied. "Besides, we need to get ready."

Rias nodded. "We have ten days. We all need to train hard to beat Riser."

"And I can help," Mizu offered.

Most of the devils looked to the sorcerer in surprise. "Really?" Rias blinked.

"That guy seriously irks me. Besides, as a sorcerer of Kamar-Taj it's my duty to preserve peace between the supernatural factions," Mizu grinned, "Maintaining good relations with the younger sister of the Devil King is part of that. And it be a serious problem if that Riser guy was your husband. That, and I can't stand the thought of Chako being forced underneath him. I'll help in any way I can. I'll even come up with a training regiment for all of you if you want, Rias."

"Hehe. I'll take you up on that," Rias smiled. She turned to her servants and spoke, "Now then everyone, Momo and I will prepare a venue to train for the next ten days. So all of you go home and prepare, this is a fight we cannot afford to lose!"

"HAI!" her servants all nodded.

**A/N:**

**And now the time has come to knock a certain arrogant prick down a peg! Too bad it's not Bakugo. That will come later. The next chapter might be delayed, so stay tuned. PLUS ULTRA!**


	16. Training Daze

That night, Izuku lay on his bed. His mind was still going over what happened in the clubroom earlier. The way that Riser treated Rias more as a trophy than an actual person infuriated him. He took some comfort in Momo and Kyoka's prank, but it wasn't enough to ease his thoughts. _'This'll be our first Rating Game.'_

Rias had told him that Riser has fought a total of 9 Rating Games and only lost twice, and both times he lost on purpose out of respect for the households his family were close to. This would be difficult. The stakes were high, as not only was Rias' future at stake but everyone else's. If the marriage were to go through, then the bylaws state that Rias and Riser will gain authority over the Peerages of the other. And Riser made it very clear what he intended to do once they married and he gained control over Rias' Peerage.

Izuku gritted his teeth. He and everyone else simply _cannot_ afford to lose! _'Buchou saved me. Now I have to save her.'_ With renewed resolve, Izuku got up and made his way to the bathroom. He had already informed mom that he and the others will be out of town for the next ten days, having told her it was last minute training before U.A. As such she had gone out to buy them some new clothes for the trip as well as some food.

Taking off his shirt, pants and finally boxers, Izuku opened the bathroom door… And immediately froze. There, just about ready to step into the warm, bubbly water, was a naked Ibara. "I-Izuku-san?"

Izuku's mind went blank, having now realized he failed to see if anyone was already in.

"Kyah!" Izuku screamed in a high pitch, turning around as his head turned a deep shade of red, covering his privates. "I'M SO SORRY! I should've checked first!"

Ibara stood there for a moment, before her face erupted into a bright blush, having now realized what she saw. "I… I saw it…"

"I-I'll l-l-leave n-now." Izuku stuttered. But before he could leave the bathroom, Ibara used one of her vines to grab Izuku's arm. "Huh?!"

"I-I'm sorry. Th-This is the first time… I've seen a boy's, um… I'm sorry."

"Th-There's no reason for you to apologize. I-I s-should've checked first before coming in here. I'm sorry I saw your… E-e-e-everything. Can you let me go now?"

Ibara's grip seem to tighten a little. "We've been living here for about six months now, but this is the first time something like this happened," Izuku dared to look back at Ibara, taking care to only look at her face. "I've read that… Nude encounters like this can help people get closer. So… Do you want to have a nude encounter with me?"

Izuku's face paled from shock, trying to process what she just asked. "Huh?"

Next thing he knew, Izuku had found himself sitting in the tub, his face as red as a tomato as he did everything in his power to not pass out. Behind him, Ibara was washing his back, her face red as well. _'This is… awkward…'_ they both thought.

They stayed like that for about a minute, both unsure of what to say or do. Finally, Ibara spoke up. "Izuku-san… What do you think will happen if we lose?"

He had a good idea but chose not to say. "…I promise, we won't lose," Izuku reaffirmed. "I'll protect you, Buchou, Ochako-san and everyone else."

Then, before he could process it, he felt a pair of arms wrap around his back and pull him close. "I'm scared about what'll happen, but I'm glad that you're here. I know that you can do it, Izuku-san." He heard Ibara's voice, his face turning hot red as steam permeated from him. Not only was Ibara hugging him tightly while they were _naked_, but he could feel a soft pair of pillows pressing up against his back. An interesting reaction happened.

"I-I-I g-gotta g-go!" Izuku stood up, Ibara still wrapped around him

"Izuku-san, wait!" Ibara let go but slipped. "KYAH!"

She grabbed onto Izuku for support, but that only caused the boy to fall as well. The two crashed with a loud thud, with Ibara on top of Izuku. Before the two could react, however, the door flew open. "Ibara-chan, what's wrong?!" Ochako asked… only for her face to glow bright red at what she saw. Ibara lying on top of Izuku, his DRAGON in plain view!

"**KKKYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!**"

* * *

One _horribly_ awkward night later, outside of Musutafu was a mountain, and beyond that mountain was a private villa that was owned by the Gremory family. It oversaw a wide field that was perfect for training purposes. While either Rias or Mizu could have just teleported the ORC to the villa, the peerage and sorcerer simply hiked there as a means to increase their strength and stamina. Mizu wasn't carrying any lugged, say she didn't need anything, while Rias, Momo, and Ibara's luggage was not very heavy, but most of the gear has been assigned to Izuku, Ochako, Yuuto, and Koneko.

"I know we're gonna stay here for the next ten days…" Izuku huffed, struggling slightly with his part of the luggage, "But is all this luggage really necessary?"

"Actually, the baggage you're carrying weighs around 40 kg each," Rias replied, looking back at him over her shoulder, "Can't have you slacking off, you know."

"Huh?! That's all the weight I'm carrying?!" Izuku exclaimed, exasperated.

"Oh, suck it up," Koneko said, walking past him with her share of the luggage. Koneko's luggage appeared to be about the size of a car, and yet, despite her small size, the white-haired girl wasn't struggling at all.

"This isn't so bad," Ochako said as she walked past also, carrying luggage that was the same size, if a little smaller, then Koneko's. She was a Rook after all.

Yuuto's baggage was slightly smaller than Izuku's, so he had an easier time. It helped that, while Knights were normal frail, they had strong legs. He glanced at Izuku as his friend almost stumbled on the stone steps that led to the villa. "Hey, Izuku-kun. You alright? You look like you're having some trouble."

"I can… manage…" Izuku huffed, looking pained.

"Just hang in there, Izuku. We're almost there," Rias said, "Just a few steps more." Sure enough, their destination came into view. "We're here." It was a two-story complex with white and beige walls with blue floor tiles, balconies on all sides, trimmed bushes, with white-steel window frames for each window frame. There was a tunnel-like driveway on the left-hand side that leads around the back where there was likely a garage.

"It's so beautiful," Ibara gushed at the sight of the villa.

"Your family gave you such a big place like this just for training?" Ochako asked, looking at the place in awe, "They must be seriously rich!"

"Oh, this? It really isn't that much compared to my home. You'll get to see it eventually," Rias said, almost boasting. "Now everyone, your names have been posted on the doors, so once you find them get changed and unpack. We will start training once everyone is ready."

"Yes, ma'am!" everyone obeyed.

* * *

After cleaning up the house to clear out the dust that piled from the time it wasn't in use, everyone went into their respective rooms to change in their gym and tracksuit clothing. After that was taken care of, Mizu instructed them to meet outside for sparing sessions, saying it be a good way for her to judge where they all need to improve. Yuuto was first, standing some distance away from Mizu, each holding wooden practice swords called bokken, each magically enhanced to withstand hard impacts that would normally cause the wood to break.

"Don't hold back, Kiba." Mizu said. Her confidence sure wasn't lacking, as the sorcerer's grin could rival All Might's.

Standing by were Rias, Momo, Ibara, Ochako, Izuku, and Koneko. "Mizu-oneechan sure looks confident," Ochako said.

"I know Yuuto-san is good with a sword, but I don't think he can beat Mizu-san," said Ibara, Izuku nodding in agreement.

"I'm sure Yuuto's got this," Rias nodded. She rose her hand up into the air. "Alright, are you both ready?"

Yuuto took a stance, while Mizu simply raised her bamboo sword, "Ready!"

She swung her hand down, "Begin!"

Yuuto moved in a quick dash, his speed rendering him near invisible. As soon as he reappeared at Mizu's face and moved the wooden sword at the sorcerer's neck. But Mizu raised her sword and blocked the Knight's attack. Jumping back, Yuuto charged again with another strike, a stab this time. Mizu parried the blade and went onto an offensive on his own thrusting his sword downward. That attack came too quickly for the blonde to do a counter strike, being forced back by several meters.

Rias looked on in surprise. She was expecting Mizu's swordsmanship to be good, but so far she hadn't even moved from her spot and was holding her own against her Knight. No, it seemed as if Mizu was holding back, given she was only using one hand so far.

Yuuto seemed to smirk, enjoying the challenge coming from the fight. He decided to release his restraints just a little more, running all over the place as he zipped all around Mizu. Mizu didn't even bother to keep track of Yuuto's movements though as the Knight appeared at her side and swung for an attack. Quickly, Mizu blocked it with the bokken and counterattacked, aiming her bokken for Yuuto's legs. The Knight didn't have time to properly react, the bokken knocking him off-balance. He didn't have a chance to get up either as Mizu aimed her bokken at his neck.

"Not bad," Mizu offers a hand to Yuuto, who accepted. "Tennen Rishin-ryū, right?"

"Yes," Yuuto answered. "I was taught that and kenjutsu by my master."

"Sirzech's Knight," Mizu said to herself.

"Mizu-oneechan, you were amazing!" Ochako gushed, "You too, Yuuto-kun!"

"That was far more one-sided than what I was expecting," Rias said.

"You still have plenty of room to improve," Mizu lectured. "Your speed is your greatest advantage, but it may also be your greatest weakness. You have a tendency to charge in then fall back, a predictable strategy. And if an opponent can match or even surpass that speed, all they need is one good hit and the fight's over," Mizu then turned her attention to everyone else.

"That's true for each of you. I noticed that, as a whole, you all rely too much on overpowering your opponents. That Smash Midoriya used during the exams against the Zero-Pointer is a good example. Yes, it's good for when you're in a bind, but what happens if you miss? What happens if your opponent is stronger? Now that you're weak and tired, they can easily finish you off. Remember the fights you had against those villains and the Port Mafia? If any of them were taking it seriously, I doubt you'd all still be here."

Everyone in the Gremory peerage clenched their fists, remembering those fights well. "What do you suggest?" Rias asked.

"For now, we focus on broadening your skills and strengths. Kiba, I'll let you borrow this," Mizu tossed the Yukinoha at Yuuto, who caught it with a fumble.

Yuuto stared at the Yukinoha, then at Mizu, then Yukinoha again, then back at Mizu. "You're… letting me borrow a Kamar-Taj relic?" He asked in disbelief.

"She took quite the dislike for Riser, so she's willing to help," Mizu explained. "Practice with her, along with any Demonic Swords that can cancel out flames for the rest of the day. At least then you'll have an advantaged. Tomorrow you'll be doing hand-to-hand with me."

"Yes, ma'am," Yuuto bowed.

The sorcerer then looked to Izuku. "Midoriya, you're up."

"R-right!" Izuku stepped forward as Yuuto joined the others.

"Arguably, as a Pawn, your training will be the hardest out of everyone's. You're the most versatile of the group, as such there's a lot of room for improvement." Mizu tossed him the bokken Yuuto was using. "Depending on what you promote yourself to could change the entire outcome of a fight, Rating Game or not. So, you ready?"

Izuku nodded. "Yeah."

"Good. But first… Ddraig, can you hear us?"

**[Of course, I can hear you.]**

Most of the Gremory group jumped in shock. "Did Izu-kun's hand just talked?!" Ochako asked.

"It did!" Yuuto confirmed.

"You could've talked to me like that this whole time?!" Izuku asked his hand. Specifically, the glowing green gem that had appeared on it.

**[Only recently, as I explained when we first met.]**

"Everyone, met the Welsh Dragon, Ddraig." Said Mizu. "Or at least his spirit that dwells within Midoriya's Sacred Gear."

"The Red Dragon Emperor," Rias muttered in awe.

"Ddraig, I want you to make sure Izuku won't be able to use his Boosted Gear for this," Mizu instructed.

**[Ah, I see what you're planing.]** Ddraig replied. **[Very well.]**

"W-wait, what are you up to?" Izuku nervously asked.

Mizu drew her bokken. "Just want to test something. Now then, Midoriya, try to use Dragon Force."

"Without my Boosted Gear?"

"You won't need it," Mizu smiled as she took a stance. "By the way, this will be a trial by fire, starting NOW!" In a split second, Mizu was on top of Izuku and swung for an attack. Quickly, Izuku blocked it with the bokken but MIzu's blow easily knocked him back several feet.

Stumbling to regain his footing, Izuku struggled to stay on the defensive against Mizu, who continuously swung her bokken hard and fast. Ibara, Ochako, and the others watched in worry as Mizu continued her assault against Izuku. _'I can't keep this up! How am I suppose to use Dragon Force without my Boosted Gear! Come on, think!'_ As he continued to block and avoid Mizu's strikes, a thought occurred. _'Wait… when I first used Dragon Force, I didn't notice any change until the others pointed it out. Maybe I should just… let it happen…'_

Closing his eyes, Izuku relaxed as Mizu swung another attack. Suddenly, Izuku jumped into the air and stayed there as Mizu's attack missed. The ORC looked on in surprise at seeing Izuku successfully using Dragon Force without the Boosted Gear.

Unlike before, the scales were no longer red. Instead, they were an emerald green. The stubby horns on his head had also grown, now being about two inches long and were both black. Izuku hesitantly opened his eyes and looked himself over. "I-I did it!" He exclaimed.

Mizu smiled. "Like I thought."

"Huh?"

Mizu continued as Izuku landed back on the ground. "See, when we met I noticed something, so I decided to look into your family history," Mizu shook her head as if she was in disbelief. "Turns out, on your father's side, you have an… interesting relative."

"Interesting how?" Ibara asked.

"Wait…" Rias exclaimed, having realized what Mizu was saying. "Are you suggesting that…"

"Yep."

"What're you guys talking about?" Ochako asked.

Rias nearly slapped herself. "I knew something was off when we met, but I had assumed it was his Boosted Gear, but this…"

"What's going on? What are you saying?" Izuku asked.

"Ddraig, did you knew about…?"

**[I did, Gremory.]** The dragon within Izuku's Sacred Gear answered.** [I'm just disappointed that both he and all of you took this long to figure it out. I mean, the Familiar Master gave you a big clue.]**

"The Familiar Master?" Suddenly the gears began to turn in Izuku's mind when he recalled what the Familiar Master had said. "Wait… You mean to say… I'M PART DRAGON!?"

Ochako's eyes grew wide in shock. "No way…! Izu-kun's a dragon?!"

"Seriously? How didn't we notice?" Yuuto asked, just as shocked as the others. Even Koneko had a look of surprise.

"Easily, since his dragon heritage isn't that big," Mizu clarified.

**[She's right. If I had to guess you're at least 1/16th dragon. The reason the rest of you didn't notice before is because it hadn't awakened yet.]**

"Is it true, Izuku-san? Are you really a dragon?" Ibara asked. "You mentioned that your father's Quirk lets him breathe fire like a dragon, so does he know?"

"Um… Probably? I don't really have much of a chance to talk to him often, let alone know about my other relatives or my family history. It's really been only me and my Mom since Dad works overseas to support us, and I don't really remember what kind of Quirks my grandparents had. It could also be possible that I have an ancestor that had a dragon Quirk, but I can't say for sure…" Izuku said in an unsure tone before cupping his chin with his hand and began mumbling about the possible Quirks his family could have had, causing the others to stare at him with sweat-drops on their heads.

"…You had to get him going, didn't you Ibara-san?" Momo said with a soft chuckle as she watched Ochako shake Izuku's shoulder to snap him out of his mumbling spree.

"He does that often?" Mizu asked, slightly creeped out by Izuku's mumbling.

"From time to time," Rias answered.

"But why did Izuku-kun's dragon heritage only come to light now?" Yuuto asked.

"It might be because of the Boosted Gear," Mizu said. "Since he's mostly human, his dragon half needed a catalyst to awaken. The energy from the Boosted Gear acted as that catalyst. Think of it as like a belated puberty."

"So that's why he started growing horns!" Ochako realized.

"Wait, Izu-kun began growing horns?" Rias asked.

"…I knew we forgot to tell you something," Ibara sheepishly mutters while Ochako chuckled nervously.

"We'll discuss the details of Dragon Izuku later," Mizu said. "Midoriya, your real training starts tomorrow, so get some sleep tonight."

"H-hai!"

* * *

The rest of the day was spent with Mizu sparing with the rest of the ORC. She gave Koneko advise on how to avoid faster opponents and offers to teach her some boxing and Muay Thai later. For Momo, Ochako, and Rias she taught them some more effective use of their magic, such as using simple illusions to hide and mislead opponents.

As the sun began to set it was decided to end the day there, but Mizu wanted some more time to train with Momo, saying it was important. "You wanted to speak with me, Mizu-sama?" Momo asked once everyone else entered the house.

"Yes. It's about your lightning 'Quirk'," Momo didn't fail to catch the emphasis at the end.

"W-what about it?" The young devil tentatively asked.

"Stop hiding. I know for a fact that your lightning isn't a Quirk."

Momo visibly blanched. "How-"

"I worked with your father once, about a year ago," Mizu answered. "I know that lightning anywhere. And I'm sure he won't be happy when he finds out that-"

"STOP TALKING ABOUT THAT MAN!" Momo yelled. It was so unexpected that Mizu took a step back in fright. "I… I don't want anything to do what him."

"…You're afraid, aren't you? Afraid that if the others find out they'll reject you?" Mizu asked.

Momo didn't answer.

"They'll find out eventually." Mizu placed a hand on Momo's shoulder. "I'll keep this secret until you're ready to tell."

"…What does this have anything to do with Riser?"

"Because you can do a lot more than simply shoot lightning," Mizu answered. "Since you have to be smart to successfully use your actual Quirk, I'm sure the thought of using your ability to control lightning to control electromagnetism had crossed your mind once or twice."

Momo nodded.

"Well, along with teaching you magic, we'll be focusing on that."

* * *

The first day of training came to a close and after a hearty dinner that Rias prepared, the peerage retreated to the villa's bathhouse. The bathhouse, of course, was separated by a large wall. The girls pampered themselves on one side of the bath, while Izuku and Yuuto were washing off the grime from their bodies in the other end of the bath. Izuku leaned on the rim of the bath while Yuuto was scrubbing his hair with shampoo.

"Oh, wow," Izuku sighed blissfully, basking in the warm waters of the bath, "I don't even remember the last time I was in a bath like this."

"A nice bath always helps you relax after a long day of training," Yuuto added. Sighing deeply, he gave a friendly smile. "You know, this is actually the first time you and I have spoken casually to each other like this. Without the ladies around anyway."

"Come to think of it, you're right," Izuku nodded, realization dawning on him. "We never really did have much of a chance to take these past few months."

"Yeah. But I'm still in shock about you being part dragon," Yuuto simply laughed as Izuku shook his head.

"I'm still in shock, too," Izuku chuckled nervously. "I'm worried what Mizu-sama has planned for me tomorrow."

"I'm sure you can handle it," Yuuto reassured. "It'll probably be easier than what Buchou has in store with me. Not only do I have to practice with the Yukinoha, but she wants me to practice while using my Quirk."

Izuku's attention was caught by this. "What is your Quirk, Yuuto-san?"

"Nothing special, really. I can alter my center of gravity, so I can walk on walls and ceilings," Yuuto explained, placing his hand on the wall, soon lifting his own body before he stood on the wall, sticking to it with ease. "The downside is that it has to be a flat surface and at least part of my body needs to stay in contact."

Izuku watched in fascination. "That's amazing! I can see plenty of ways that can be useful for the Rating Game."

"I agree, it has come in handy plenty of times before," Yuuto's look turned solemn.

"…Yuuto?"

"It's nothing," Yuuto said, smiling.

* * *

"Ah~! It's been too long since I soaked in an onsen," Mizu said with a contented sigh as she stretched out in the hot, mineral-rich water.

"I wish Kyoka could've gone with us," said Momo as she rested in the water. "She would enjoy this." _'And not just because of the view,'_ she silently added.

"After a long day like today, I so~ needed this!" Ochako moaned in bliss.

Koneko sat on the edge of the bath, eating a candy bar she snuck in. Though she occasionally looked on in jealousy at the larger busts of the other girls.

"This is nice," Ibara let herself sink into the waters.

"So Mizu, what do you have planned for tomorrow?" Rias asked.

"It's a secret," Mizu teased. Rias was about to protest when she saw a large scar on Mizu's abdomen. It was long and diagonal, reaching from her waist to below her breasts.

"That's a nasty scar," Rias said.

Mizu looked down and rubbed a hand against it. "This? I had it for a couple of years," she said, her voice having a solemn tone to it. "I got it when my hero career ended."

Rias flinched. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. That's in the past now," Mizu smiled. _'And I'm determined to not let history repeat itself with them.'_

* * *

The next day, the ORC gathers outside the villa, Mizu standing up in front. "Today is where the real training begins," Mizu said. "First off, Midoriya. Your trainer should be here soon."

"Trainer?" Izuku couldn't ask anything else when they heard the sound of heavy flapping above them. They all looked up as a large shadow appeared in front of the sun and grew larger as the mysterious object approached them.

The large object as it landed not far from them with a dull 'THUD' and furled his huge wings behind his back. It stood at a towering fifty feet tall, its body mainly covered in dark purple, draconic scales with the exception of its lower body, including its belly, inner portions of its legs and its long tail, which were beige in color. Protruding from its triangular head was a pair of large yellow horns along with a pair of red eyes which glared down at them maliciously. His claws ended with long sharp, yellow nails, and large bat-like wings which protruded from its back. It also wore a loincloth and black pauldrons which extended down to its elbows.

"A dragon?!" Izuku screeched.

"Thanks for coming, Tannin," Mizu calmly greeted the dragon.

"Tannin!?" Rias gasped. "How the hell did you get the Blaze Meteor Dragon to come here?!"

"I pulled some strings. He'll be Midoriya's teacher for a little bit."

**"****It's been a long time since I last visited the human world," **Tannin said, his powerful voice echoing. **"But it's been even longer since we last spoke, Ddraig."**

**[Too true.] **Ddraig said, a little eager to speak with a fellow dragon. **[It's good to see you, Tannin.]**

"You know him?" Izuku asked.

**[Yes. Tannin was once a Dragon King until he willingly became a devil.]**

"Even among reincarnated devils, he's well known for being an Ultimate-Class," Rias added.

"A devil dragon…" Ochako muttered. "That's… terrifying…"

Tannin bent down and sniffed the Ari around Izuku, making the boy flinch. **"Even though it's small, I can smell the dragon blood within him,"** Tannin noted.

"That's part of the reason you're here," Mizu then looked to Izuku. "Alright Midoriya, you and Tannin will spend the next hour in a special training area," Mizu rotated her arm in a circular motion, creating a large rift big enough to fit Tannin. "Once there you'll be training for about a month."

"Huh?"

"See, where you're going time moves about 730 times faster than here. So an hour here will be 730 hours, or about one month, there."

Tannin then picked up Izuku by his shirt. "Hey! Slow down!"

"Wait, if time moves faster there then why aren't we all going?" Rias asked.

"Because access is restricted," Mizu answered. "Only about 4 people are allowed at any given time." She then turned to Tannin. "You've got about a month to help train Midoriya. During that time, I want you to strengthen his body and mind through rigorous training to get a better handle on his dragon abilities. As well as this, I expect him to strengthen his Sacred Gear also. And be sure to give him a break every six days. We don't want to kill the boy."

**"****So torture him? Understood."**

"Wait, WHAT?!" Izuku screamed as Tannin stepped through the rift. "Don't I get a say in-"

The rift closed.

"Uh… will Izuku-san be okay?" Ibara asked.

"He'll be fine," Mizu reassured.

* * *

The next twenty minutes were spent with Mizu sparing with Koneko. Koneko lunged forward with her fist rearing for a punch, and Mizu went in with her leg over her leg. Mizu was currently teaching Koneko how to avoid certain attacks, which can make it easier for the Rook to counterattack.

Rias and the others watch as Mizu demonstrated this by having Koneko lunged forward with her fist rearing for a punch, only for Mizu to sidestep, grab Koneko's arm, and toss her through the air. "Just because you're a Rook doesn't mean you should take every hit thrown at you," Mizu told her as Koneko landed.

"How do you know so many martial arts?" Rias asked.

"I had two really great teachers," Mizu answered. "I used to intern with Yoroi Musha before I opened my agency, and he taught me plenty about sword fighting. When I joined Kamar-Taj I was taught a whole bunch of martial arts like kung fu, Muay Thai, and the like by Jack."

"Jack?"

"Yeah. He's a samurai, though no one knows his real name, so everyone just calls him Jack."

"How do you think Izu-kun is doing?" Ochako asked.

* * *

**BOOOOOOOOOMMM!**

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Izuku bellowed as he was launched backwards from the large explosion which detonated in front of him, sending him soaring through the air where he landed on the face of a large rock which knocked the wind out of him. He groaned in pain as he slowly slid down the rock and fell onto his hands and knees.

"Ow…" he grumbled as he wiped the soot off his face before proceeding to wipe the sweat which had developed over the course of the day where it seemed like he had been running non-stop. When he looked back on today's training and then up at the darkening sky, he quickly realized that he _had_ been running all day.

**[You've managed to make some improvement today.]** Ddraig said with a slight chuckle.

**"****You have gotten a good grasp of your dragon heritage. Now we just need to focus on your Sacred Gear,"** said Tannin. **"We have nearly spent half of our time here, so maybe I should crank up the firepower."**

"Huh?"

When Izuku saw Tannin preparing another attack, he spread his wings and flew as fast as he could.

* * *

"I'm sure he's fine," Mizu reassured.

* * *

Izuku drank the water from the stream near his camp, the cold liquid cooling his body after a long day of training. Which consisted of running like hell from Tannin's attacks. Once he finished he looked at his reflection in the water and saw the physical effects of his extensive training regime. The turquoise jersey his mother had given him was completely ruined, reduced to shredded fabric after only a few days into the training. The white shirt lying on the ground beside him wasn't much better, though somehow it was still able to cover his torso. As he looked at his bare chest, Izuku noticed that he had burned off what little fat he had, leaving his chest sturdy and muscular, and his stomach toned. Even his arms had benefitted from the training in that they had become very muscular as a result. The horns he had on his head had grown now. Before they were barely noticeable. Now they were at least two inches long. His eyes were different now, too, his pupils having noticeable slits.

"So this is what happens when you train with a former Dragon King?" Izuku asked himself as he inspected his new body.

**[You should be proud, kid.] **Ddraig stated, his gem glowing on Izuku's right hand as he spoke. **[Tannin is notorious for his unique style of training. You've done well to survive it.]**

"Thanks," Izuku replied as he put his shirt back on and headed back to his camp. "I'm just glad this is the last night. It's been about a month, but it feels weird knowing that I've really only been gone for about an hour."

**[It certainly is strange.]** Ddraig commented. **[The sorcerers of Kamar-Taj are full of surprises.]**

Izuku gathered some wood and placed them in the fire he had made earlier. The warmth from the flames helped him relax. "I know this much, when we get back my body is going to ache for months," Izuku added with a groan.

**[Don't worry. I'm sure the Gremory will be giving you new aches to worry about.]** Ddraig said with a chuckle, causing Izuku to sweat-drop.

* * *

Izuku had never been happier to see anything as he was to see the Gremory villa on the other side of the rift. Riding atop Tannin's back, Izuku shield as the huge dragon landed in front of the villa, the rest of the ORC watching. He jumped off Tannin's back, sprouting his green, dragon wings to slow his descent to the ground.

As he landed on the gravel covering the courtyard, Izuku looked down at his hand which held the only thing he had brought back from his time in the forest and mountains, the tattered remains of his jersey. It was totally destroyed over the course of his training camp, being little more than strips of fabric now, largely charred thanks to Tannin and his fireball attacks.

"Izu-kun! You look so different now," said Ochako, she and Ibara admiring the muscle Izuku had developed.

"I take it that the training with Tannin went well?" Rias asked, though she too was secretly admiring Izuku's new muscles.

Izuku, though a little nervous about all the stares the girls were giving him, smiled and answered. "I somehow made it through."

"Thanks for the help, Tannin," Mizu said to the dragon-turned-devil.

**"****You're welcome, Sorceress Mizushima,"** Tannin replied. **"I'll be taking my leave now. I look forward to the Rating Game."** With a massive flap of his wings, Tannin took to the air, quickly rising into the sky before disappearing into a magic circle.

"Now then," Rias called, "let's get back to training."

* * *

Eight days into the training camp (well, longer for Izuku) and everyone was showing signs of improvement. Ibara, even though she could easily defend herself with her vines, had leaned several defensive spells from Mizu. Yuuto's speed managed to increase, while his proficiency with the Yukinoha had improved, despite the blade's stubborn personality. Koneko managed to become more swift and agile despite her Rook attributes limiting her speed, while Ochako had better mastered her Rook strength, even applying it to some of her spells.

Momo had managed to become more versed in her electricity, having found many ways to manipulate the elements easily. As for Rias, even she managed to find variable and efficient ways to use her Power of Destruction. Everyone had improved over the course of the week, and they were all just about ready to face off against Riser and his battle harem.

That night after everyone else had gone to sleep, Izuku sat in the living room, checking the Hero News. No mention of All Might teaching at U.A. yet, while Ryukyu helped take down a Quirk trafficking ring. He was also going over his notes, reviewing and adding to them whenever he could during the whole training camp. He was so focused on them that he failed to notice someone walk into the room.

"Izu? What are you doing?" The voice of their leader broke him out of his concentration.

"Huh? Oh! I'm just checking the Hero News and looking over my notes is all," Izuku turned to look at Rias. As soon as he caught sight of her, he blushed and turned away.

Why? She was wearing a pink see-through nightgown that gave him a vague look of what she had underneath. Not to mention that she also had on a set of red glasses over her eyes, a candlelight and a book under her arm.

If Rias noticed his reaction, she didn't show it. She simply sat the candlelight on the coffee table before them and plopped down on the couch next to him. "Any interesting hero stories tonight?"

Blushing beet red, Izuku tried not to stutter, "W-well, Ryukyu helped take down a Quirk trafficking ring."

"Hm, that dragon sure has been busy lately."

"I guess…" Izuku nodded, feeling uncomfortable with how close she was to him, how he could feel her warm breath brushing against his face. Daring himself to look at her, he blinked as he saw the glasses. They actually made her look… cute. "I didn't know you wore glasses."

"These?" Rias said, fidgeting with her eyewear as she backed up, "They're just for show. They help me think more clearly. Goes to show just much time I've spent here in the human world," she giggled slightly. "I still need to find more information on the Phenex clan, so I thought I'd get some extra time to study up."

"Oh…" Izuku could only say. "If you don't mind me changing the subject, why are you so against marriage? I mean, I can see why you wouldn't want to marry someone like Riser, but why marriage in general? Is it something personal?"

"No, Izuku," Rias answered, "I'm not against marriage. In fact, I would rather find someone that I myself approve of. Rather, this whole thing came about because I am a Gremory."

"Huh?"

Rias gazed out the window, looking at the moonlight from the crescent moon. Izuku blinked as his eyes widened slightly, feeling as if the light of the moon and her longing posture seemed to make her appear as an unforeseen goddess.

"Back home, everyone only sees me as Rias of Gremory instead of myself. While it is flattering to have men attracted to me and I am proud to call myself a Gremory, they only view me as a trophy rather than my own person. Riser is just one of many men who view me as such. Not once did he ever listen to me or took interest in my likes. All I heard from him was how I'm going to be his, and how I am already his. And it only got worst after his brother disappeared. It was so depressing. It was part of the reason why I wanted to stay in the human world. Here, I'm free to act as myself and everyone sees me as simply Rias." She turned back to Izuku with longing sadness in her eyes, "I just want to have someone who loves me for me. Someone who can laugh and cry with me. Someone that I can call my own. That isn't too much to ask, is it?"

Izuku slowly smiled and shook his head, "It's not. And… I think everyone wants to fall in love with someone, right?"

Rias smiled. "You're right." Rias then noticed a slightly burned notebook resting on the coffee table. Curiously, she picked up the notebook before Izuku could react. "Oh, what's this? 'Hero Analysis for the Future No. 13'?"

Izuku winced. "A-Ah, that's-"

"Wow, you wrote all this?" Rias asked, skimming through the pages. "I knew you liked heroes, especially All Might, but this takes it to the next level."

Izuku blushed at that, looking down in embarrassment as he rubbed his head. "W-Well, that's…"

"Oh~ What's this? Mount Lady is 'sexy', is she?" Rias said, her tone hiding none of her amusement. "Now we know you're into taller girls, huh?"

"W-Wait, you're misunderstanding!" Izuku waved his arms sporadically. "Y-You see, at that time, Mount Lady was a brand new Hero on the scene! I watched her help Kamui Woods and several other Heroes take down a villain rampaging through town. She ended up dealing the final hit and um… made a point to… flaunt her assets…" He coughed, trying not to sound demeaning. "I-It's not unusual for some Heroes to use their looks to their advantage, man or woman. Mount Lady was definitely trying to get that sort of attention when making her debut."

"I'm only half-convinced because it's you saying this. Just don't let Koneko see this, you naughty boy."

Izuku let his head hang, refusing to offer her the dignity of a response.

"Still… I have to admit, these notes you took are quite impressive," Rias continued, causing Izuku to look back at her again. "I get that you're a fanboy, but I have to ask… why take notes on so many different Heroes? I know that you admire All Might the most, but you've got a whole catalog of Heroes in here."

Izuku gave a nostalgic smile, reaching down and grabbing a notebook, holding it up and flipping through the pages. "Because… I thought that maybe if I could figure out how so many different Heroes made it… How their strengths worked and how I might be able to use them to my own advantage… I'd be able to get into U.A."

Izuku closed the book, gazing at the charred, crinkled cover with a gentle expression. "I thought if I just worked hard enough and studied hard enough, I could make it, even without a Quirk. But now that I think back, it really wasn't in the cards for me, huh? Not without knowing about my Boosted Gear." His eyes trailed over to Rias. "Then I met you, Yuuto-san, Koneko-chan, and everyone else. I have the chance now, thanks to you. I'm really glad that we met."

Izuku then grabbed his book bag from the coffee table and pulled out a bundle of notebooks. "There's… something I want to show you." He undid the strap and pulled out a notebook at the center, turning around with a sheepish expression.

"I was… sort of hiding this because I was kind of embarrassed, and it slipped my mind after training with Tannin-sama, but I think now's a good a time as any to show you." Izuku held out the notebook in his hand, handing it to Rias to read.

"…'Devil, Angel, and Other Supernatural Analysis for the Present No. 1'…" Rias read aloud, slowly pulling the cover back to read through the pages.

"I made sure to include everyone's abilities in there and what their strengths and weaknesses are! Not to mention I made note of all the people and stray devils we've fought, like Raynare and Chuuya!" Izuku explained with a glint in his eyes, watching as Rias looked through it in stunned silence. "I even have a couple of ideas on how everyone can improve!"

"Izuku, this is… amazing…" Rias mumbled, looking back up at the green-haired teen. "You didn't have to do all of this."

"I wanted to. I'm your Pawn now. And like you said, we're all family." Rias nodded with a knowing smile, "We're in this together. Me, Ibara-san, Momo-san, Koneko-chan, Yuuto-san, and Ochako-san. We don't want you marrying Riser anymore than you do. We'll all do our best."

Rias smiled wider, "Izu… come'er," she reached her arms around him and pulled him into a hug, resting her head against her pillow-like chest.

"Erm… Buchou… what are you-?" Izuku whispered, blushing.

"Shh… let's stay like this for a while," Rias whispered, nuzzling her face against his hair. Izuku slowly nodded as he relaxed in his master's grip, feeling a little more comfort in her arms. "Hey… Izuku?"

"Yeah?"

"I… I'm glad we met, too."

**A/N:**

**Holy crap! I think this is the longest chapter yet!**

**C'mon! Izuku's dad has a Quirk that lets him breathe fire. LIKE A DRAGON! It was too good of an opportunity to pass up on. And no, he's not aware either.**


	17. Before the Game

**A/N: Just a heads up, this chapter will mostly be a breather before the Rating Game with fun antics.**

* * *

Ten days of training later, Izuku, in his green jinbei and gray sweatpants, sat at his desk in his room, watching a video feed of Riser's previous Rating Games. Their Rating Game with him won't start until midnight, so Rias had decided to use the last day for everyone to rest and get ready. They were all to meet up in the clubroom within 15 minutes before the game started. During that time Rias had instructed Izuku to watch these past battles to come up with a strategy.

Izuku watched intently as Riser's Queen took down her opponent with ease, writing down everything he saw. "No wonder she's called the Bomb Queen. She can create explosions that can take out even Rooks. They're different from Kacchan's, though. Is it magic or because of a Quirk? Either way, the only ones among us who may have a chance of beating her are me, Buchou, and Momo. Anyone else won't be able to handle multiple hits like that."

As he continued to watch, Izuku did notice something about Riser. With the exception of the Rating Game's he purposely lost in, Riser always hung back to let his servants do most of the fighting, only ever fighting himself when either the opposing King began fighting or when most of his peerage was defeated, relying on his regeneration to win him the game. It was a good strategy, one Izuku and the others would have a hard time dealing with since they're outnumbered.

_'__As far as I can tell the biggest threats are Riser and his Queen. We can take out the rest of his servants easily, and if we can take out his Queen he won't have any backup. But even then, it won't be easy.' _With a sigh, Izuku leaned back. _'But we can't afford to lose. Everyone trained so hard for this. I won't let them down.'_

"Still thinking of a strategy?" Izuku looked up at Ochako's voice.

"Oh, Ocha-" Izuku flinched at what he saw. "WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR FACE?!" He yelled out in shock as Ochako's face was indeed not looking like its usual self.

"My face? Oh, it's just my nerves… Must've reached my face." Ochako said, her voice not having the usual bubbly tone.

Izuku nodded. "Me too."

They both have a good idea about what'll happen to them if they lost against Riser.

"By the way, where's Ibara?" Ochako asked.

"Right here." The two turned to see the door to the room opening, with Ibara stepping inside. Instead of her usual clothes, she was dressed in a white robe.

"Oh, nice robes, Ibara." Said Ochako.

"Thank you," the vine-haired girl replied. "These actually use to be my old church clothes."

"Really?" Izuku asked. "But why…?"

"Oh, w-well… Buchou said that I can pick any outfit that I'm most comfortable in," Ibara said, fiddling with her fingers shyly, "So I picked this one. I know. It's ironic since I'm a devil now and can no longer serve the Lord."

"I think it looks good on you," Izuku said quickly. He blushed and covered his mouth as he realized what he just said. "I… um…"

Ibara blinked, but smiled softly at his compliment, "Thank you. I'm actually planning to use this as my hero costume, also."

Izuku and Ochako couldn't help but smile that, despite the church abandoning her, Ibara has yet to truly abandon God's teachings. "That reminds me… we need to head to city hall to get copies of our Quirk Registers for the clothing allowance," said Ochako.

"Ah that's right," Izuku said. "Because of Riser I complete forgot about it. But, wait… I'm registered as Quirkless."

"Oh, right. That could be a problem," Ochako muttered.

"We can worry about that later," Izuku suggested. "We still have Riser to deal with."

The two girls nodded. "By the way, when do you think Inko-san will be returning?" Ibara asked.

"She didn't say, only that she'll be shopping for a bit," Izuku answered.

Ochako's eyes suddenly lit up. "Hey, maybe we can go shopping too!" Izuku and Ibara looked at her curiously. "So we can get our minds off the Rating Game for a bit."

"That's not a bad idea," said Ibara. "I've only ever been shopping with Inko-san before, so this should be fun. What do you think, Izuku-san?"

"Oh, I, uh, if you guys want to go then sure."

"Is something wrong?" Ibara asked, she and Ochako both very worried.

"N-nothing's w-wrong, it's just…" Izuku trailed off, bad memories beginning to come back. "The last time I went shopping with a girl… I died."

Both girls let out a small gasp, eyes wide in shock. They understood what he meant by that. "Raynare…" Ibara hissed.

The three stayed silent for a moment before Ochako spoke back up. "I'm sorry for bringing it up…"

"It's okay," Izuku reassured. "We can go if you want."

"Good!" Ochako beamed a bright smile. "Because I noticed that your wardrobe is rather plain."

"Eh?"

"That's right," Ibara nodded. "When I help Inko-san with the laundry, I notice that Izuku-san's clothes all look the same."

"Hold on, I-"

"Then it's settled!" Ochako exclaimed. "We'll get change and head for Wookiees right away! You're gonna have to model, though."

"Wait, what?!"

"Sorry, Izu-kun but you'll thank us when this is over. Besides, I've been meaning to go shopping anyway." Ochako smiled. "This'll be my way of thanking you for the excuse."

As the two teenage girls left to get change, Izuku could only sit there dumbfounded by what just happened.

_'__What did I get myself into?!'_

[Get use to it. This will probably happen a lot.]

* * *

Not long after, and the three teens arrived at the shopping mall. It hadn't changed much from when Izuku last visited. This didn't ease him in the slightest, memories of Raynare killing him flashing back as he shakily stood outside the entrance.

"Are you going to be okay?" Ibara asked, having replaced her robes with a dark blue dress with light blue accents.

"Yeah," Izuku nodded. He had on a play white shirt with the words 't-shit' written on it and jeans.

Ochako, who had on a yellow shirt, white shorts, and black stockings, grabbed his hand. "Then what are we waiting for?" She asked as Ibara grabbed Izuku's other hand.

The two girls then dragged him into the mall, Izuku frantically telling them to slow down a little.

In spite of the bad memories brought by going shopping with the girls, Izuku soon found himself enjoying it. That is until Ochako and Ibara became dead set on adding to his wardrobe. Subjected to two hours of being a living doll, forced to try and retry outfits until the girls were satisfied, Izuku began to truly know despair. What made matters worse is that they clearly enjoyed it, especially when they made him try on swimsuits.

It wasn't long until Izuku noticed something else, something that greatly unnerved him. As Ochako and Ibara continued to let him model many of the latest fashions, enjoying it a little too much, Izuku was also subjected to the stares, gazes, and wanton looks of nearly every other girl in his vicinity.

_'__Ddraig, this is freaking me out! Help me!'_

The dragon seemed amused at his suffering. [It's both a part of who and what you are. Each of my wielders has had no difficulty in attracting potential suitors of their own preference. Additionally, you're the first of my hosts to be part dragon, and that only makes the attraction stronger. You're an apex predator; each of these girls instinctively sees you as an ideal mate to ensure their safety and that of their offspring. You'll likely have a harem by the years' end.]

_'__YOU'RE KIDDING ME?!'_

[I wish I was.] Ddraig now sounded rather smug. [I always enjoy seeing how my hosts react when they learn that detail. Now, if you're done asking questions, put a shirt on. The girls are drooling.]

Izuku shook his head to clear his thoughts and found that Ddraig was right; there was a small crowd of teenage girls gathered outside the store, pressed to the glass to observe him. Blushing furiously, he ducked out of sight, pulled on the nearest shirt in his size, and went to the girls to ask if they could leave now.

"Aww~, it was just getting fun too," Ochako whined.

"You called that fun?" Izuku asked indignantly.

"It was rather enjoyable," Ibara added.

Izuku shook his head in disbelief.

* * *

On the way back to the apartment, the three teens stopped by Dagobah Beach to rest for a bit. The sun was slowly setting as they arrived, giving the sky a beautiful orange hue. "Oh wow… this beach looks so amazing…" Ochako stated in awe as she stared at the beautiful beach with impressed eyes from her spot on the boardwalk.

"Kyoka-san and Momo-san did an amazing job," Ibara said.

Izuku, who was sitting on a bench, several boxes and bags filled with what the girls bought next to him, nodded. "Yeah… It's impossible to tell that this beach used to be a dump."

Ibara and Ochako sat down next to Izuku, each taking one side, enjoying the sunset, until…

"Stop right there, scumbag! You and your friends better get the hell on out of here or else!"

"Or else, what?"

The yelling caught their attention. Looking down at the beach, they saw three burly men. Their walking was slurred, evidence that they were drunk. Each of them were rather large and intimidating, one having the head of an octopus, one a hyena, and one a vulture.

The three men were harassing a girl, around the same age as them. She had teal eyes and long, ginger hair in a ponytail hanging off her left side. She wore a short blue dress with a red blazer, a wide leather belt, and dark blue shoes.

Ibara's eyes widened in recognition. "Kendo-san?"

"You know here?" Ochako asked.

Ibara nodded. "She helped me during the entrance exam."

"You gonna try to fight us?" The vulture, who was apparently the men's 'leader', said in a mocking tone. "Hate to break it to ya, but you know how strict the rules are about Quirk usage in public. Or did you forget about that, my little princess~"

"Don't. Call. Me. Your. Princess!" Kendo hissed.

"We better stop them!" Before there was any argument, Izuku bolted up and ran toward the scene, Ibara close by with Ochako not far behind.

"And there's three of us and only one of you!" The vulture continued. "So what's it gonna be my little princess? Either come quietly and have the best night of your life as we shower you with our _essence_. Or we take you by force and leave you in a shell of yourself as we enter inside of you! Choose wisely."

"How about we go for option three? None of the above!" Kendo's eyes widened as she heard a voice to her left, seeing Izuku, Ibara, and Ochako standing beside her.

"Shiozaki?" Kendo asked, recognizing the vine-haired girl right away.

"Who the hell are you three?" The vulture asked.

"Hey, those are some cute girls, too! We can have one each now!" The hyena drunkenly laughed.

"No kidding! I can't wait to get my tentacles on them!"

It took a lot of willpower on Izuku's part to not smack down the three drunk men right there, with the way they were lecherously staring at Ochako and Ibara along with Kendo. "I won't let you get near them!"

"Oh yeah? And what are you gonna do about it, kid?" The vulture mocked. "You and your friends what to play hero? Well, let me make one thing clear to you! In order to use your Quirks in public, you need to have a Hero License or have the proper authorization. Especially if you use your Quirk violently. So, do you honestly think you can take all three of us down without using a Quirk?"

Izuku merely smirked as he stared at the three hooligans in front of them, "Yes, we can."

"It's you three pervs against the four of us, so I think we can win," Ochako added. She then pulled out her phone and began to type. "We can even get a Pro Hero involved if you want."

The three drunks visibly flinched at that. "You're bluffing!"

"Are you sure you want to take that chance?" Ibara asked. "You may be forgiven for your sins if you just leave."

The three men glared at them, each looking absolutely livid. Finally, the vulture spoke up. "Let's go. This isn't worth our time." The vulture turned to leave, to the disappointment of the other two as they followed.

When they were out of earshot, Kendo spoke up. "Thank you."

Once Izuku got a better look at her, he noticed that she was rather attractive, which caused his shyness to take over, "U-Uhh, a-a-are you o-okay? T-those g-guys d-d-didn't h-hurt y-you, did they?" Izuku said, stuttering through his whole sentence.

Kendo raised an eyebrow in confusion, _'He was acting all cool just a minute ago, but now he's a stuttering mess. Does he have trouble with girls?'_ She smiled a little. _'That's kinda cute.'_

"Don't worry about Izuku-san," Ibara said. "He's been doing better, but he still needs improvement."

"It's okay," Kendo smiled. "And I'm fine. Not a single one of them laid a finger on me thanks to all of you."

Izuku sighed in relief as he calmed down.

"That's good. It sure was lucky we happened to stop by then," said Ochako. "I'm Uraraka Ochako, by the way. The stuttering guy is Midoriya Izuku!"

"I'm Kendo Itsuka," she replied. "These are your friends, Shiozaki?" Kendo asked the vine-girl.

"Some of them," Ibara answered. "I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon Kendo-san."

"Likewise," Kendo then looked over to Izuku. _'And I wasn't expecting you to be friends with a cute boy like this.'_ Kendo blinked a few times, wondering where that thought had come from. "Thanks again. I probably could've taken them down by myself, but I'm honestly not sure." Kendo shivered at the thought of what would've happened had they not appeared.

"It's okay. But couldn't you have used your Quirk?" Izuku asked.

"I would've if it wasn't illegal. Otherwise, I would've smacked them down before they knew it and you guys wouldn't have gotten involved," Kendo giggled as she poked Izuku's chest… which happened to be as hard as a rock.

_'__W-What the hell?! Is he made of marble or something? Just what in the world is he hiding under all of those clothes…'_ Itsuka thought as not so innocent thoughts began to circulate through her mind. Before she knew it, her entire face resembled a tomato as steam blew from her ears. She comically collapsed onto the ground as her eyes turned into dizzy swirls.

"H-Hey, are you okay?!" Izuku asked as he, Ochako and Ibara did their best to bring Itsuka back from her dirty and perverse fantasies.

After a few minutes, Itsuka was finally able to calm down, though her cheeks still had a red tint to them. "I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over me. I apologize for making you worry. Stuff like that doesn't usually happen to me…" Itsuka said in embarrassment as she avoided making eye contact with the green-haired boy. The dirty thoughts were still fresh in her mind and looking into his beautiful green eyes would not help her situation.

"It's okay," said Ochako. "It happens to all of us."

Izuku then noticed that the sun had completely set now. "It's getting really late now. Sorry Kendo-san, but we need to go."

"Do you think you can make it back home safely?" Ibara asked.

"I'll be fine," Itsuka replied. "I know a safe route back. If I hurry I won't run into any more trouble. It was great meeting you."

"Same here," Izuku replied as he picked up the bags from the shopping trip.

Itsuka watched the three left, her cheeks still red as she happened to look at Izuku's rear. "I wonder if he has a girlfriend?" She whispered to herself, before suddenly realizing what she said. Blushing even harder, she ran home as fast as she could.

* * *

Once they had returned home, Ochako and Ibara were quick to look over everything they bought, especially the clothes they got for Izuku, who had the sneaking suspicion they wanted him to model again. Fortunately, he was spared from that fate for the moment by the front door opening.

"I'm home!" Inko suddenly called, making the three teens looked to the direction of the front door curiously, seeing Inko walking in, carrying a couple of bags.

"Did some shopping, too?" Ochako asked.

"And a few other things," Inko reached into one of her bags. "I brought you a few things. First off, for Izuku, tada!" She pulled out an emerald green bodysuit with dark red accents.

"A hero costume?!" Izuku asked. "Did you make this?"

"Yep! I may have taken a peek at your notes once when you fell asleep…"

"Huh?"

"And I know it's not the coolest costume out there, but I made this as a gift for getting into U.A.! And as an apology."

"An apology?" The three teens all asked.

"Yes. I… said something awful… and I never forgiven myself since." Izuku nodded, knowing what she meant. "But you never gave up. I'm sorry Izuku, so from now on I'll be cheering you on!" Izuku smiled, taking hold of the costume his mother had made.

"Well, put it on!" Ochako said. "Let's see it!"

"Oh, ri- No, I'm not falling for that again!" Izuku exclaimed, his face red as he backed away from the girls.

"Aw, too bad," Ochako whined as Ibara sighed in disappointment.

"What's this about?" Inko asked.

"Oh, we just made Izuku model his new clothes earlier. Guess he's afraid we'll do it again," Ochako answered.

"Really?" Inko flushed. "That's cute! I remember making Hisashi do the same thing when his white clothes got ruined by a red ribbon once. He was rather hot in nothing but bright pink briefs."

"MOM!"

"That reminds me, I have gifts for you two also," Inko reached for a bag that had a somewhat large box. "These aren't as extravagant as Izuku's, but I'm sure you'll enjoy them." She handed the box to Ibara. It was a shoebox. Curious, Ibara opened it and found a pair of black knee-length boots. "I'm sure I got them in your size. What do you think? I figured you could use them for your costume."

"Inko-obasan, you didn't have to buy these," Ibara looked over the boots. "I really do like them. Thank you."

"You're very welcome, dear." Inko then took out a smaller box and handed it to Ochako. "And this is for you. I wasn't sure what you would want, so I spoke with your mother. She said you wouldn't mind these."

Realizing it was pointless to argue, Ochako gratefully took the box and opened it, letting out an excited gasp when he pulled out what looked like a large collection of star-shaped stickers from the container. Stickers that she knew were more than meets the eye.

"Oh my gosh! Inko, did you seriously went and got me glow in the dark stickers!?" Ochako questioned as soon as she saw them. The next few minutes were spent talking as Inko prepared dinner. When she learned that Izuku ad the girls had to meet up with their friends for an important 'meeting' she had insisted on cooking something that'll give them plenty of energy. Izuku wasn't sure he wanted to know what she thought they were going to do.

As they waited, Ochako asked about what happened to Izuku's horns. She noticed that they were no longer visible when he was modeling earlier.

Izuku rubbed his head. "Yeah, they started to disappear when I'm not using Dragon Force. It's okay, though. I don't want to freak out my mom too much yet." He chuckled.

* * *

Once dinner was finished, Inko had gone to bed, leaven Izuku, Ochako, and Ibara awake. Ibara had just change into her church clothes, wearing the boots Inko had gotten for her. Ochako had taken out the witches staff Mizu had given her. Izuku sat at the couch, going over the notes he made earlier. Only a couple of hours were left before they needed to meet up with Rias and the others.

"Hey, Izu-kun," Ochako spoke up. "Can we… sit with you?"

Izuku nervously nodded, "I don't mind." The girls went over to his bed and sat next to him, each taking one side, pressing their bodies close to his. Izuku took deep breaths to stay calm, but then noticed that they were trembling against him. Slowly, he placed his arms around their shoulders and pulled them close. "Ibara, Ochako, don't worry. Everything will be okay. I promise."

Ibara and Ochako smiled in content, snuggling closer to him. "Can we… stay like this until it's time to go?" Ochako asked.

Izuku nodded with a smile, and they both took what time they had left to enjoy the warmth. _'This… isn't so bad.'_

* * *

When Izuku, Ochako, and Ibara arrived at the clubroom, they found that everyone had already gathered to await the start of the game, milling about to pass the time. Yuuto was inspecting the Yukinoha at one corner of the room, while Koneko was slipping on combat gloves with cat paws on each hand before eating some snacks that she brought along for herself. Rias sat on one of the sofas rather than her desk, sipping on a cup of tea Momo prepared, her Queen standing at her side. She looked very calm but was very tense on the inside. She had reason to as the Rating Game was going to decide her future, which she detested quite a lot. Kyoka and Mizu were there as well, the former standing by Momo while the latter sat in a corner. Izuku, Ochako, and Ibara went over to the other sofa to take their seats, waiting along with their friends.

After a few more moments of waiting, a magic circle appeared before the teenagers and Grayfia stepped out of it. She looked around and saw that everyone was accounted for, nodding in approval. "It's good that all of you have arrived. The match is about to begin. Is everyone ready?" Everyone stood up and each one gave nods. "Very well. The match will be held in an artificial dimension created specifically for the game. As such, it is a disposable space so you may all fight with your fullest power. The Gremory and Phenex households, as well as their allies and peerages, will also be watching the battle. That means Lucifer will also be watching. Keep that in mind."

"So 'zechs is watching too," Rias whispered silently.

"An artificial space," Izuku mumbled in thought. "And Buchou's big brother is gonna be watching too…"

"Buchou's brother is also known as the Crimson Satan, and he is the strongest of his generation," Yuuto chimed in. "His level of power is actually equivalent to that of the late Satans, and he's one of the reasons why devils have managed to survive for so long. But since he was given the title of Lucifer, he couldn't be referred to by his Gremory name anymore. That's why Buchou is next in line to inherit the house instead of him."

Izuku couldn't help but feel a little intimidated. He knew that Rias came from a prestigious family, but hearing such stories about her super-powerful big brother was rather intimidating. Not only that, but there were three more of his comrades who had feats just as great as him. Considering his master, they were likely nice people. But still… he made a mental note to stay on their good sides.

"It's time now. All of you, please step into the circle," the group all turned to the maid as she gestured to the magic circle.

"Good luck guys," Mizu said.

"We'll be cheering for you," Kyoka added. "Kick Riser's ass."

The Gremory group nodded and, with resolves of steel, they walked into the magic circle. Once they were all within, the light of the magic circle glowed brightly before they all vanished in the crimson glow.

* * *

"DIE YOU GERM FUCKERS! DIE!" Bakugo shouted as he scrubbed his teeth with his fifth toothbrush this week.

He had barely gotten any sleep last night. His stomach kept cramping, causing him to keep running to the bathroom feeling as if he were going to hurl, only for nothing to come out. He woke up in a puddle of his own sweat every few hours and had to take one of his forty-ounce water bottles to his room to quench a thirst that wouldn't go away.

All because one thought kept going through his head.

_'__Fifth place…'_

Even now, it seemed unreal. Bakugo had never gotten anything less than first place in his life. It just wasn't something that happened to him. After all, wasn't he the strongest and smartest out of all the extras in that shithole of a school?

Wasn't he supposed to be better than everyone?

"Then why!? Why the fuck did I end up in fifth place behind some nobodies and fuckin' Deku!?"

It shouldn't be possible. Deku was supposed to be in last place no matter what. Hadn't he put his all into that stupid exam? Hadn't he pushed himself harder than ever? That should've easily launched him into first place!

_'__But no. Fucking Deku got first because of some bullshit!'_ Katsuki scrubbed his teeth harder than ever. "That shithead had to have cheated!"

Maybe he could've dealt with some nobody beating him. It was the U.A Entrance Exam, after all. A school for the best of the best.

But Deku? **_Deku_** was able to beat him? He's Quirkless!

"Goddamnit! He must've done it so he could humiliate me! That has to be it!"

"KATSUKI!" His mom shouted from her room. He stopped for a moment to listen. "Shut the fuck up! I'm trying to sleep and your shouting is killing me!"

Growling, Bakugo took out the brush and spat the toothpaste from his mouth. Blood from his gums ran into the drain with the white foam.

As he rinsed his mouth and toothbrush, he glared at his reflection with bloodshot eyes. He threw his now wrecked toothbrush into the trash and splashed water on his face. After drying his face, he gave himself an approving nod and walked out the door.

_'__Enjoy your lucky break, Deku… because soon enough, I'm going to leave you in the dust!'_ He thought, unaware that someone else might beat him to it.

* * *

**A/N:**

**This took a little longer than I intended. I originally had planned for this ad the next chapter to be one big chapter but decided against it. Now it's time to give Riser the beat down he deserves!**

**Oh, and what's this? Could it be that sweet Kendo of Class 1-B is not as innocent as we all thought? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)**

**The next chapter properly won't be out for a while, so sorry in advance. And I hope you all look forward to it. See you next time! PLUS ULTRA!**


	18. Players and Pieces

**A/N:**

**Ladies and gentlemen! People of the physical, the metaphysical, and everything in-between! Thank you all so much for waiting. Now, LET THE RATING GAME BETWEEN RIAS GREMORY AND RISER PHENEX COMMENCE!**

* * *

When the light cleared from Izuku's vision, he looked around in confusion. They were still in the clubroom. "Huh? Isn't this the same room?" he asked in confusion.

"Take a look outside," Yuuto told him. Izuku blinked but went to the window anyway. He took a good look outside and was gobsmacked. The sky wasn't in the black colored night anymore but instead was covered with a green aurora field. He looked further out the window and saw that it wasn't just the OR club building that was in the new dimension, but the entire school ground as well.

"This is the battlefield they made for us?" Izuku asked. Feedback suddenly sounded in the area as the school speakers went online.

_["Hello everyone. I am Grayfia, a maid from the House of Gremory, and today I will be the arbiter of the Rating Game between the House of Gremory and the House of Phenex. In the name of my Master, Sirzechs Lucifer, I will be keeping my eye on this match. By using both Lord Gremory and Lord Phenex's opinion, we created this battlefield, which is a replica of the school, U.A. High, which Rias attends in the human world."]_

"So Riser's deliberately giving us the home-field advantage," Rias said in an unamused tone, clenching her fist. "He's seriously underestimating us. That's fine, all the more reason to bring him down."

_["The location where both teams were transported to their base of operations. Rias' base will be the Occult Research Club's clubroom located at the club buildings. Riser's base will be the Student Council's room located in the main building. For the Pawns to use Promotion, please head to the enemy's base to do so. You are permitted to set enchantments before the fighting begins. The game will begin in thirty minutes and will be signaled by the school bell. The time limit is dawn in the human world. Best of luck to both parties."]_

With the time closing in on them, the group took to the center of the room to discuss their strategy. Rias was the first to speak up. "We have thirty minutes, so let's make this quick," Rias explained that Riser's strategies in Rating Games were always simple, being tied to his ability to regenerate. Assuming that he doesn't know about Izuku being the Red Dragon Emperor, or being part dragon, then he's unlikely to change his MO.

She then gestured for Izuku to detail what he thought would be best against Riser. Stuttering for a moment, Izuku explained that the best strategy he could think of was to take out Riser's servants before taking on the King himself. If they were to attack him directly, they'll be out in the opening, making it easy for the enemy to finish them off. But if they waited, Riser's Pawns could enter their base first, giving them the chance to promote themselves to Queens.

As such the best option was to go after the Pawns first, followed by the Queen, Rooks, Bishops and then the Knights, not necessarily in that order though. With them gone Riser won't have any backup. "Then I can use Mizu-sama's advice, along with the Yukinoha," Yuuto spoke up.

Izuku nodded. For defense, he suggested for Yuuto to set up traps within the surrounding woods, while Momo and Ochako set up defensive barriers and illusion charms around the club building. But there was also the matter of Gym Gamma nearby. Though it was still quite the ways away, it was still the closest building to them. As such it could give Riser's servants an easy route to the clubroom. As such Izuku, Ochako and Koneko were assigned to clear that route.

Rias herself would stay behind at the base as the commander to give support depending on how the game went, and Ibara would be by her side as emergency first aid. Once they took out all of Riser's servants, they were to regroup and then go after Riser himself.

Momo checked the time and saw that they had about 10 minutes left before the Rating Game began. "Let's get started on those traps and barriers."

"Hai!" Ochako and Yuuto nodded. Before they left, Momo handed each of them a small com-link device to communicate with each other. Once everyone had been given one, the Queen, Rook, and Knight left the room, leaving Rias, Koneko, Ibara, and Izuku in relative silence. The gentle Bishop was sitting across from Izuku, hands in her lap as she continued nervously fidgeting in anticipation of the fight.

"You okay, Ibara-san?" Izuku asked.

"…I'll be fine."

"Try to relax," Koneko deadpanned.

Rias then placed a hand on the Bishop's shoulder. "We're all nervous, Ibara. But we need to focus, okay?"

Ibara nodded. "Oh, I just remembered. I brought these," she reached into her robe and pulled out a cross and a bottle.

"You still have that?!" Rias exclaimed, the skin of every devil in the room crawling. "And is that holy water!?"

Ibara fidgeted her fingers nervously. "I never bothered to get rid of them, and I figured they could be of use some time."

As much as Rias wanted to scold Ibara for keeping a cross and Holy Water, she decided against it. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"I'm a little numb, but I'll be fine."

Rias sighed, before staring at the Church items on the table. She hated to admit it, but these defiantly will be useful. "I'll hold onto them," Izuku offered.

Rias looked to Izuku like he'd grown two extra heads. "You can't be serious!"

"I should be fine," green scales appeared on Izuku's right arm as he picked up the cross and holy water. "My scales should protect me for a little while."

As much as she wished he'd reconsidered, Rias knew by now to trust Izuku's judgment. "I sure hope you know what you're doing. But to make extra sure…" Rias went over to the sofa and sat down, softly patting on the seat beside her. "Sit over here."

Izuku's cheeks turned rosy red, slowly gulping, "Uh… sure." He went over to the president and sat down next to her, uncomfortably fidgeting. Ibara watched quietly with wide eyes and red cheeks.

Rias pointed at her thighs, "Lay your head on my lap."

"E-eh?!" Izuku gasped, his eyes widening as he flinched.

"This isn't a time to act embarrassed," Rias chided him. "Just trust me."

Izuku took a deep breath to calm himself down before slowly laying his head on Rias' lap, while Ibara stared at the scene with a pout, not being able to hide her jealousy.

"Now Izu-kun, I'll cast a little spell on you." Izuku's face began to glow red. "Don't worry, it's nothing bad. I'm just going to unlock a seal is all." She then placed a hand on his forehead.

_Thu-thump!_

Izuku gasped at the sudden change in his body. Then, an incredible amount of power flooded into his body. It wasn't like the kind that he had gotten from the Boosted Gear, as it was a power of its own. What he was feeling now was something that came from within him, and it felt familiar and comfortable.

"When you became a Devil, I told you it took all eight of my Pawns pieces," she told him. "But what I didn't tell you was how much power you'd receive."

"W-what do you mean?" Izuku asked.

"If I had unleashed everything all at once, your body wouldn't have been able to take it. So I casted a spell to keep your powers at bay. Because of the spell, your abilities come to you in small, manageable stages. What I just did now was unseal another portion of your powers. This is only the beginning of what you're capable of, Izuku. That training we did was meant to have you cope with the power of Boosted Gear and the eight Pawns, you'll be fully able to use Promotion to its full power. Though there are areas you still lack in." She then started patting his head.

"Ah!" Ibara turned her body sideways with her hands together to pray. "There I was, being jealous when all along Rias was just trying to help him," she said. "Dear God, please forgive me for being so stupid and letting awful jealousy get the best of me."

And then the headache came.

"OW!"

Koneko silently stared at the Bishop with a deadpanned face, quietly enjoying a candy bar.

They waited for several more minutes before…

**RIIIIIIING!**

"Go time," Rias said as she stood up. "Riser is likely to have already sent out his servants, so we need to move. Izuku, Koneko, go help Ochako. She should be at Gym Gamma. Some of Riser's servants are likely already there."

Koneko and Izuku nodded. "Right," Izuku said. Though oddly, he was smiling.

"Good, now get going," Rias smiled back. "We have a game to win. Show them what you can do."

"Hai!" They quickly ran outside.

* * *

Meanwhile, three of Raiser's Pawns were traversing themselves through a very thick fog, trying to find their way to the club building. The first of the young women, Shuriya, had long, pale blue hair, amber eyes with purple highlights around them, and tanned skin that was wearing a bikini made up of a metallic underwire brassiere and a silk loincloth that exposed her sides, a silver-colored tiara, and neck rings with a ruby and blue gem respectively. Other accessories include ruby orb earrings, a snake-themed bracelet on her upper arm and a transparent pink veil across both her arms.

The other two, Marion and Burent, were dressed as French maids. With Marion having shoulder-length light brown hair and dark brown eyes. Her French maid uniform was a buttoned, sleeveless one with a white laced design, along with a standard maid headpiece, cuffs, and a white half-apron to go with the set. She also wore light gray tights.

Burent, on the other hand, had shoulder-length brown hair and had a maid's uniform that was also sleeveless but exposed her cleavage with a white lace design on the edges, a maid headpiece, half-apron, and forearm length fingerless gloves.

"Damn," Burent said. "This fog is so thick I can't see anything."

Then a red magic appeared a few meters from them, standing tall. With a quick flash, it launched glowing projectiles as long as spears at them. The three Pawns saw the danger and quickly jumped out of the way, letting the projectiles impale trees and the ground.

"A trap," Shuriya said in amusement as she flew through the air. "Did they really think that something like that would work?"

"Looks like the Gremory group are dumber than I thought," Burnet mocked as she and Marion were in the air together.

"A cute trick from a Rating Game virgin," Marion said as she landed, failing to notice the near-invisible wire directly under her foot.

Shuriya did, though. "Marion, wait!"

Too late. The wire broke the second some of Marion's weight was on it. Up above, a dozen swords rain down upon them. The three Pawns avoided them as best they could, though their clothes weren't as lucky. Once all twelve swords were embedded in the ground, they collectively breathed a sigh of relief… until the swords began to glow.

"Now wh-"

**BOOM KA-BOOM BOOM!**

The swords exploded. The three Pawns were hit directly with the force, sending them flying, crashing into the trees around them. When the smoke cleared, each Pawn was down on the ground, but not yet out.

All Shuriya could do was look up, where she saw Kiba Yuuto walking down the trunk of a tree. The katana he was carrying had a white mist surrounding it, while frost grew from where he stepped. "I have to give Izuku and Momo credit," he chuckled. "That trap worked perfectly. I never would've thought I could make my Demonic Swords explode like that."

"…Fuck."

* * *

Izuku and Koneko had caught up to Ochako, the three making their way towards Gym Gamma. They had just heard of Grayfia's announcement, so they sped up their track to the gym. When they finally reached it, they entered through the backdoor as quietly as they could in the hopes of catching Riser's servants off guard if they got there first. Once they entered, though, they found that the gym was both huge but also empty. No place to hide.

And Riser's servants had beaten them to it. Four of them stood not far from the front entrance. "So nice to meet you, Servants of Gremory." One of them challenged.

Izuku remembered them from the first time he saw them as well as the footage Rias had given him. The apparent leader of the small group was a well-endowed girl that appears to be of Chinese descent, with shoulder-length black hair and blue-green eyes. Her hair has two Chinese style buns on both sides of her head, while the front features bangs that form a slight V-shape across her forehead. Her outfit consists of a navy blue qipao with gold accents, with a sash around her stomach, black armguards on her forearms, and black, low-heeled shoes. The qipao was open at the chest area, giving view to her breast and cleavage, as well as a split down the left side to show off her long, left leg. Watching them approach, the Chinese woman spoke again. "So some of Rias's servants did come here after all. I am Xuelan, Riser's Rook!" she introduced herself boldly.

There were two twins behind Xuelan, both of them looking like they belonged in middle school. Both of them had turquoise hair with yellow ribbons tied to one side of their hair opposite to one another, likely to tell them apart. They were dressed in gym uniforms; white t-shirts with blue accents, black leggings, and blue sneakers over knee-high socks, no different to how most female gym uniforms were like. They also wore orange wristbands on their right wrists. They were also holding red and blue gym bags. "Ile and Nel! Riser's Pawns!" both twins introduced cutely.

The last girl had blue hair and light brown eyes. Her hair was styled with four short ponytails, two of them pointing up and the other two pointing down. The front of her hair had split bangs going across her forehead, with side bangs framing her face. Her outfit consisted of a white haori with a red obi, worn under a red happi coat. She had bandages on her forearms and shins, and blackguards over her hands. She wore a pair of zori under her feet. Gripped in her hands was a wooden staff. "I'm Mira… Riser's Pawn," she greeted.

Izuku, Ochako, and Koneko glanced at each other. The enemy introduced themselves, so it was courtesy for them to do the same. "Toujou Koneko, Rias Gremory-sama's Rook."

"I'm Uraraka Ochako, Rias-sama's other Rook."

"And Midoriya Izuku, Rias-san's Pawn."

Xuelan gave a gruff nod as she pounded her fists together, "Now that introductions are out of the way, we can get down to business." She switched to a kung-fu stance, gesturing her fingers in a "come here" taunt.

Koneko stepped forward and put up her fists in a boxing stance. "I'll take the Rook."

"I can handle Mira," Ochako gripped her staff.

"Guess that leaves me with the twins." Izuku looked at the two Pawns as they pulled out something from the bags.

**GGRRNNGG! GGRRNNGG! GGRRNNGG!**

Izuku's eyes widened. The little girls were packing chainsaws!

"Goodie! We get to split you up!" Nel exclaimed… or was it Ile?

The twins were wearing disturbing grins as their chainsaws revved up. Both weapons engulfed in flames as they charged at him.

_'Chainsaws?! They never used chainsaws in the matches I saw!'_

"Slice 'em up! Slice 'em up! Slice 'em up!" The two chanted happily. When they approached him, the first one swung her chainsaw at his head while the second twin went for his legs. Izuku jumped into the air to avoid the attack… which worked a little too well.

One hit the wall, the chain of her chainsaw breaking the instant it hit the hard concert. The other tripped, tossing her chainsaw in the air, it's grip bonking her on the head before landing on the floor, it's chain breaking also.

Izuku sweat-dropped. "Oh, maybe that's why…"

Mira sweat-dropped also, forgetting about her opponent… who was desperately trying not to laugh. "When will those two learn?" She groaned.

"That happens often?" Ochako asked between giggles.

Miria didn't answer though. Instead, she charged at Ochako, swinging her staff, which was light in flames, down on her.

Meanwhile, Koneko and Xuelan were busy with their fight.

"Hah!"

The Chinese devil's hands and feet were alit with flames, and she was swinging them at Koneko. but the shorter girl blocked and parried the blows as they came. She could feel the searing heat waving at her face, with some of the flames managing to rip bits and parts of her uniform. Koneko continued to hold her ground as she planted her feet firmly into the floor and rammed her shoulder into Xuelan. Xuelan grunted and recoiled from the hit, struggling to get her senses back, but Koneko pressed on and through a fist into her stomach. The Chinese cried out as she was sent flying, but quickly flipped in the air and landed back on her feet, dashing back at Koneko to retaliate. Koneko quickly backflipped away from the opponent, avoiding the punches and kicks aimed at her.

"Trying to run away?" The Phenex Rook taunted.

"You wish," Koneko said, sinking her fingers into the wooden floor. Without even uttering a word, she threw a chunk of concrete at her. Xuelan gave a small huff before rushing in and smashing the block with her fist. From the smoke, she charged at Koneko with her fist raised, who was also ready with her fist clench.

Both Rooks ended up nailing the other's jaws. The force of the hits echoed in the air as the fists buried into the other's face. They both stepped back from one another, nursing their faces.

"That hurt a bit," Xuelan admitted, spitting out a loose tooth.

"…Same," Koneko nodded, rubbing her sore face. "Not bad."

_*Bonk!*_

The two Rooks turned to see Izuku bashing together the twins' heads. The two fell to the ground before disappearing.

_["Two of Riser's Pawns have retired."]_

"Ile! Nel!" Mira shouted. The Phenex Pawn turned to Ochako with a glare before rushing toward her, spinning her staff around her before swinging her weapon in quick strikes while also throwing several kicks in.

However, Ochako grabbed Miria's leg as she threw a kick. Then, using the Pawn's momentum against her, she tossed her through the air and into a wall, leaving spider-cracks behind her. She was only able to let out a cough before she slowly collapsed to the ground, down and certainly out.

_["One of Riser's Pawns has retired."]_

Xuelan gave out a growl. Her teammates had already been taken out such a short time. "Damn-!"

_["Three of Riser's Pawns have retired."]_ Grayfia announced.

Xuelan's eyes widened in shock at the announcement. Izuku, Ochako, and Koneko had more pleasant surprised looks in comparison.

"Alright, good news!" Ochako grinned.

"Looks like one of our traps worked!" Izuku guessed.

Koneko didn't say anything but smiled softly at the fact that they were in the lead. The three then noticed that Xuelan was staring at one of the windows. Koneko quickly took the opportunity to attack by leaping forward to deliver a dropkick on the enemy Rook. Xuelan quickly regained focus as she gasped and rolled away from the kick, quickly taking another stance. "My my, look who's getting their ass whooped," Koneko mocked, putting up a guard.

"Don't think so highly of yourself," Xuelan frowned. "We're just getting started." Suddenly two arms wrapped her from behind. "What the-!"

"Maybe," Xuelan looked behind her and saw Ochako. "But we _already_ started!"

"Let go of me!" Xuelan exclaimed.

"Sure!" Ochako let go, but not before using her Quirk on Xuelan. Eyes widening, the Phenex Rook began floating in the air. "Now, Koneko-chan!"

Xuelan looked ahead and saw Koneko having jumped up high into the air before she came crashing down at full force.

**SMASH!**

The floor got utterly destroyed by the impact, dust filling the air and growing in size. Ochako ad Izuku shielded themselves as air blew around them. The smoke quickly vanished, and Koneko could be seen in the center of a large crater, getting up as Xuelan vanished into a glimmer of light after that.

_["One of Riser's Rooks has retired."]_

"Nice job, Koneko-chan!" Izuku grinned, running up to his teammate. He quickly stopped and blanched. The reason why was because both Koneko and Ochako didn't quite come out untouched. Koneko's outfit was partially torn and burnt from being on the receiving end of the attacks. Ochako's shirt and pants were ripped in various places, exposing her bra which was burned slightly, exposing a nipple. They turned to face him and noticed his embarrassed face before looking down at their damaged outfits.

"KYAH!" Ochako screamed as she and Koneko covered themselves.

"Keep looking and I'll claw your eyes out," Koneko threatened with a glare.

"R-r-right! S-Sorry," Izuku apologized turning away. As Ochako magically repaired their clothes, Izuku took the moment to look out the window. The same one Xuelan briefly glanced out. _'I wonder what she was looking at?'_

He got his answer when he saw someone with slamming wings. He recognized her right away and knew what she was planning to do.

"Guys! Look out!" He screamed, running towards them.

Koneko and Ochako turned around suddenly, shocked at the seriousness of his tone. As their teammate ran towards them, spreading his wings, a blinding light appeared from out the window.

* * *

**KA-BOOM!**

Yuuto stopped in his tracks and looked up in shock. From his position, he saw a thick layer of smoke rising into the sky and flames dancing around. From all the times he visited the real U.A., he realized where the explosion had happened. He also knew who was there when it happened. "Guys!"

_"Yuuto, calm down,"_ Rias' voice spoke in his com-link. _"Grayfia didn't announce that any of them were defeated so they may be still in play. Still, just to be sure I'm going to send Momo to check. Riser's Queen is likely the one responsible. Only she has that kind of magic to cause such an explosion."_

"Right, understood," Yuuto nodded.

_"Right, now you have your own job to do. Be careful," _Rias ordered.

"Yes ma'am," Yuuto obeyed. He ran off in full sprint, praying that his friends were safe.

* * *

Amid the burning and ravaged building that was once the gymnasium, Izuku hugging both Ochako and Koneko tightly, his wings wrapped around them. All three were dusty and bruised from the blast. "You two okay?" Izuku asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ochako nodded. "What about you, Koneko-chan?"

"I'm okay… thanks for the save," Koneko said, a slight smile on her face. Looking up, she suddenly frowned. "We have company."

Izuku and Ochako followed her gaze and narrowed their eyes. Up above them levitating with flaming wings was a busty figure holding a staff, slowly descending before them. "Is that…?"

"That's right," Koneko confirmed. "Riser's Queen, Yubelluna."

Yubelluna gave a condescending smirk. "I'm surprised you three managed to survive my signature attack. I figured that it would be easier to finish you all off after our comrades' sacrificed themselves to tire you out. The enemy is most vulnerable during a celebration after all," she said. Her smirk widened at the sight of them. "And I apologies. I didn't intend to interrupt your skinship moment…"

The three Gremory devils blinked at her words, slowly looking at one another before releasing just how close Izuku was holding them. Instinctively, Izuku leapt backwards just as Koneko threw a punch, her cheeks puffing angrily while Ochako's entire face turned red.

"However," Yubelluna continued, her smirk turning into a frown. "I also wasn't expecting for you to be a dragon, boy." She brandished her staff around and pointed it at Izuku. "Although I'm not very fond of the name, it is because of my magic that I am known as the Bomb Queen. Yet you managed to survive a directed hit while shielding your comrades. I'd like to see how long you can last against me!"

He frowned as he looked up at Yubelluna before turning to his friends. "Koneko-chan, Ochako-san, go and help Yuuto-san."

Koneko looked at him, aghast, realizing what he's planing. "Are you stupid?! She's a Queen! You won't last a minute!"

"I'll be fine," Izuku reassured them, a small smile on his face. "Compared to Tannin-sama or Kacchan, her blasts are just firecrackers."

"You dare mock me?" The opposing Queen hissed. "And you honestly expect me to believe you've faced against the Blaze Meteor Dragon himself?"

Izuku turned to Yubelluna with a determined glare. Koneko and Ochako grimaced but reluctantly nodded. They ejected their wings and flew off into the air. Yubelluna idly ignored them.

"You allowed your comrades to escape so that you would stay and fight me," Yubelluna said, cocking her head. "Very admirable… Foolish, but admirable. Do you honestly believe you can beat me?" The Phenex Queen asked him.

Izuku said nothing, instead clenching his fist. "_Promotion: Queen!_"

He leaped up into the air, readying a punch, but Riser's Queen blocked it with a barrier. "Nice try," she mocked before creating another explosion. The blast sent Izuku back, but he quickly recovered in the air.

"Damnit!" He hissed when Momo's voice spoke through the com-link.

_"Izuku-san, close your eyes."_

"Huh?" Izuku did so, but he wanted to ask why when Yubelluna spoke up.

"Sorry, little boy, but you can't beat me alone." Yubelluna mocked.

"He's not alone!"

Several objects suddenly fell around Yubelluna stagers back, but a closer look them to be Russian matryoshka dolls in Momo's likeness. "Hmph, how cute," she laughed, knocking the doll aside. It opened up, revealing a flashbang inside.

_*BANG!*_

"AHHH!" The Phenex Queen screamed, the incredibly bright hurting her eyes.

Izuku, even with his eyes closed, could still see just how bright the flashbang was. Once the light died down, Izuku opened his eyes and landed on the ground. Yubelluna was also on the ground, crying in agony about her eyes.

"Izuku-san, are you okay?" Izuku looked up to see Momo gliding toward him. She landed on the ground and quickly jogged up to him. "What happened? Where's Koneko-chan and Ochako-san?" She asked, looking up and down at his ragged clothes.

"They're okay," Izuku answered. "We got blindsided by Riser's Queen. I told them to go on help Yuuto."

"Agh! You little bitch!" Yubelluna screeched, sending a volley of explosions at them.

"Look out!" Izuku quick held Momo close and turned her away from the blasts.

**BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!**

Izuku screamed as he shielded Momo from the fireballs. Behind them, Yubelluna rubbed her eyes, clearly still disoriented by the flashbang. "Izuku-san, are you okay?!" Momo frantically asked.

"I'm fine," Izuku groaned as he stood up. He blushed upon seeing the state Momo was in. While she was still fine, her clothes were torn and burned from all the heat and fire. He quickly shook it off, though.

Yubelluna was rubbing her eyes, clearly still disoriented by the flashbang. "This is our chance!" Momo realized. Lightning surged around her as black sand suddenly picked up from the ground and swirled in the air, circling over both her and Yubelluna. When Phenex Queen's eyesight finally returned, she looked up in shock at what she saw.

"W-what is this?!" Yubelluna muttered, unsure of what to make of what she was seeing.

"It's iron sand I made before I arrived," Yubelluna glared at Momo and saw that, indeed, iron sand was coming from her body. "By using my power of lightning, I can manipulate electromagnetism," the Gremory Queen said, raising her hand over her head, "Meaning I can control any susceptible metal, like this!"

At Momo's command, the iron sand stretched down onto Yubelluna and sharpened into spikes. Yubelluna put up her staff and summoned a shield before her. The spikes stabbed and jabbed at the shield, breaking it apart until it shattered. The spikes continue the relentless barrage as the enemy Queen was forced to retreat by gliding backwards, but some of them managed to shred onto her clothing. She screamed and shrieked as a support beam from the wreaked gym slammed into her from behind.

Izuku flinched at what he saw. That looked painful. _'I'm sure glad Momo is on our side,'_ he thought as he looked at said girl… and noticed the slight blush she had. "Uh… are you okay?"

"Oh, uh, yes! I'm fine!" She lied. _'Crap! I got turned on again! Am I a pervert?'_

"Okay, I admit, I may have underestimated you two." Their attention was drawn back to Yubelluna, who had just moved aside the support beam. She dug her hand in-between her large breasts and pulled out a small bottle.

The appearance of the bottle confused Momo. "What is that?"

Izuku, however, recognized it as something Rias told him about. "Phoenix Tears?!"

Yubelluna opened the vial and poured its contents on her arm. In an instant, Yubelluna's wounds healed. Momo and Izuku could only stare in shock. _'Are you KIDDING me?!'_

"Those were impressive tricks, Gremory Queen, but I won't fall for them again," Yubelluna boasted. "I'm glad I brought this along." She toyed with the empty vial of Phoenix Tears in her fingers before tossing it aside. "Now, shall we continue?"

Izuku gritted his teeth. _'If she has the other vial, then beating her won't be easy. Since her explosions don't do much damage to me, she'll target Momo-san.'_

_'She'll target me, which will force Izuku-san to defend me. If that keeps up, even if we do beat her, we'll be too weak to continue.'_ Momo mentally continued what Izuku thought. _'Our best bet is to take her out in one shot, but to do that…'_

_'But how do we do that?'_ Izuku silently asked, trying to come up with a strategy. His thoughts were interrupted, though, when Momo spoke up.

"Izuku-san," said boy looked to her. He saw the determined look in her eyes. "I have an idea, but I need you to distract her for a bit. Think you can do that?"

Izuku nodded. "Leave it to me." Izuku took to the air again, energy channeling into his Boosted Gear. "Dragon Shot!"

Yubelluna lazily raised her staff and conjured a shield. "Pointless," she said as the Dragon Shot harmlessly bounced off the shield… only for her eyes to widen in surprise to see Izuku dive-bombing her. Izuku bypassed the shield easily before delivering a swift punch to Yubelluna's gut.

He then kicked the Phenex Queen, sending her a few feet back before landing on her back. Groaning and moaning in pain, Yubelluna gritted her teeth with one eye closed, glaring at Izuku, as he just stood where he was. He was blocking her view of Momo, who seemed to be doing something.

"Try all you want but little tricks like that won't work on me," Yubelluna boasted as she stood up. She prepared another explosion, one big enough that she was sure it'll take both of them out, when…

"Izuku-san, now!"

Izuku jumped to the side. Yubelluna's attention was so focused on him that she forgot about Momo, who had created a large cannon next to her. "What?!" Was all the Phenex Queen could say before the cannon fired.

_*BOOM!*_

In an instant, something wrapped itself around Yubelluna. She fell to the ground, immobilized by a bola fired by the cannon. Though caught off guard, Yubelluna smirked. "You think this little thing can hold-"

Yubelluna didn't finish, though, when she saw that, in Momo's hand, a ball of lightning had formed. Izuku, realizing what she had planned, landed next to her and placed his Boosted Gear on her arm.

**[Transfer!]**

**ZAOORRN!**

The attack came so quickly that Yubelluna was unable to react at all. Even if she did had time, the attack was so large and powerful that it would've been to avoid. All she could do was scream as the boosted lightning bolt destroyed her surroundings. The blast was so bright Momo and Izuku had to shield their eyes. Once the light faded, all that was left was a badly burned Yubelluna in the center of burnt concrete with hot glass surrounding her before she disappeared a white light.

_["Riser's Queen has retired."]_

Izuku and Momo collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. "We… we took her out…" Izuku heaved.

"Yeah… we did…" Momo sighed. "I think… I'm gonna rest… here for a bit."

"Are you sure?" Izuku asked her. "Should I take you to Ibara? She can-"

"I can manage for a little bit." Momo interrupted him, pulling out a chocolate granola bar from her pocket. "If I need to I'll go to Ibara-san by myself. You still have strength. Go help the others."

Izuku reluctantly nodded. "I'll be back with the others. I promise," spreading his wings, flew up into the air.

Momo smiled as she watched Izuku fly off. "Good luck, Izuku."

* * *

Izuku flew just above the canopy at full speed, the trees blurring past him. Though he was concerned for Momo, he knew they had to focus on the other enemy servants. "I hope Momo-san will be okay."

Eventually, he spotted Koneko, Ochako, and Yuuto hiding behind some bushes. Several meters away he saw seven of Riser's servants making their way through the forest. Quietly, Izuku landed behind his friends, making sure not to be seen. He didn't give away their position, or his. "You guys okay?" He asked in a whisper. The three were nearly startled by Izuku's voice.

"I managed to get three of Riser's Pawns into one of our traps. The explosive swords made it too easy. Of course, this only made the rest of the enemy servants cautious of their surroundings." Yuuto told him, also in a whisper.

"What about you?" Ochako asked. "What happened to the fight with Riser's Queen?"

"Momo-san finished her off but is resting now," Izuku answered. "Once we're done here we should go check up on her."

"They don't look like they'll be falling for our traps, though," Koneko said, looking on in concern. "We might have to confront them ourselves if things don't go as planned."

"So, what's the plan, Izuku?" Yuuto asked.

Before Izuku could answer, however, a voice suddenly called out to them. "We know you're out there, Servants of Rias Gremory. I, Karlamine, Knight of Raiser Phenex, challenge you, Knight of Gremory, to a duel!"

Yuuto's eyes narrowed as he stood up from, grabbing the hilt of the Yukinoha. "What are you doing?!" Ochako hissed.

Yuuto gave them a calm smile. "A Knight just challenged me to a duel. As a fellow Knight, I must respond." And with that, Yuuto stepped out into the open to accept the challenged.

Izuku and Ochako continued to stare at Yuuto while Koneko stared at him with the same half-lidded, impassive face that she always had. Eventually, she closed her eyes and sighed. "Guess we better follow him."

Nodding, the three followed Yuuto out of their hiding spot. Out in the clearing, seven girls were opposing them, including the Knight that challenged Yuuto.

"I am Kiba Yuuto, Knight of Rias Gremory-sama," Yuuto announced as he pulled out the Yukinoha, "I humbly accept your challenge to a duel!"

Since Yuuto introduced himself, the other Gremory devils felt that they had to do the same, "I'm Midoriya Izuku, Rias-san's Pawn!"

"Toujou Koneko, Rias Gremory's Rook."

"And I am Uraraka Ochako, Rias Gremory's other Rook."

"Well met!" The Phenex Knight, Karlamine, nodded. "I am pleased that I will be able to have an honorable duel with a fellow Knight!" The female Knight was wearing a headband that goes across her light brown hair and forehead, and green eyes, and quite the endowed body. Strangely though, her outfit consists of a full set of silver armor with black accents that appears to be a cross between a European knight and a Japanese samurai; with a chest plate, gauntlets, greaves, hip plates, and shoulder guards. She was equipped with a broadsword and a dagger, both of which are held with brown belts slung across her hip, with the sword slung on her left hip and the dagger located behind her hips.

"Good grief… there she goes again, acting so high and mighty. I know she's a Knight, but her interests in swords is starting to become an obsession." Izuku quickly turned around towards the direction of the voice. He saw it was the princess-like girl who resembled Riser. "Let's make this quick. Isabela, take the Pawn. Li, Ni, you'll handle the white Rook. Siris, Mihae, you have the other Rook."

"Yes, milady," the women stepped forward.

"Siris, Knight of Riser Phenex," said a tall young woman with long black hair that had a blue tint in it with brown eyes. Her hair looked like it had five thin ponytails spiraling out around her head, which were held up by a golden hair accessory on top of her head. Her outfit consisted of a white top with black accents that was modeled after a Chinese cheongsam, red shorts, and armored, knee-high boots with matching gauntlets. In the center of her top was a diamond-shape hold that gave everyone a clear view of her breasts and cleavage. She was carrying a giant a two-handed zweihänder.

"I am Mihae, Bishop of Raiser Phenex," the girl had long black hair, blue eyes, and an angelic face. She was dressed in a black and blue kimono that went all the way to the ground, a red sash around her waist, and a white tabi-socks on her feet. Her shoes were traditional slippers

"We are Ni and Li! Raiser Phenex-sama's Pawns!" The two catgirls spoke in unison. The catgirl on the right had pinkish hair, and the one on the left had light bluish hair. They both wore boxing gloves that were the same color as their hair, and a rather provocative school girl outfits. Their cat ears stuck out of their hairs and their tails were swaying from side-to-side behind them. Their uniforms had bright yellow ribbons on their chests, the lower half of their shirts were trimmed up high, exposing the bottom half of their breasts, short skirts that barely showed the edges of their butts, and shoes that matched their hair color.

"More twins?!" Ochako exclaimed as Koneko took battle-ready stances, Koneko pounding her fists together.

"Think we can take 'em, senpai?" Koneko asked as she cracked her fingers.

Ochako nodded. "Yep!"

"Looks like that leaves you with me," Izuku turned at the voice. She was a girl with short, light brown hair with three red highlights across and grey eyes. The feature that stood out the most with a plain white mask which covers the right side of her face. Her outfit consists of a black jacket and matching jeans. The jacket has wide shoulders and a wide collar and features three leather straps on both her arms. It's also slightly open, revealing her rather-large breasts and cleavage, and cuts off at her midriff. Her jeans have a section, on her right pant leg, that's cut off to reveal some of her thighs and rear end, and also features three leather straps on her calves, just below the ankles, and two extra straps on her right pant leg to keep it in place, while also sporting black fighting gloves and boots.

She smirked. "I am Isabela, Rook of Riser Phenex. In my master's name, I will defeat you!" The girl had a manic look in her only visible eye, half mask obscuring her other.

Izuku scowled. "I'm Midoriya Izuku, Rias-san's Pawn. I'm sorry, but for both her sake and ours, I'm afraid I can't let you win."

"You sound confident." The Rook grinned at him, completely devoid of malice. "This should be interesting."

Izuku couldn't help himself but get excited himself. He raised his hands in a classic boxing stance to perfectly match his opponent's style, something her smile indicated she appreciated. She charged and started throwing punches at him, but Izuku was able to dodge them.

**[****Boost****!]**

Izuku blocked one of Isabela's attack, his doubled Queen strength matching the Rooks. Smiling, the masked Rook spun on her heel, delivering a one-two to his ribs before rolling to the side as he brought a hand hammering down to impact upon her location. She struck again, he grunted at the impact before bringing his forearm to slam into her shoulder. At this, she winced and took two steps back, favoring her bruised appendage.

"Damn, you're good. I'm curious, where did you train?" She asked.

Izuku rubbed the area where Isabela hit him. He wasn't sure, but it felt like he had a cracked rib. "I've had two great teachers."

"Well, then I hope you give me a private lesson sometime after this," she gave him a seductive wink.

Izuku paled a bit as his face went face red. "Uh… Well, I, uh, see…"

Isabela blinked in genuine confusion. _'That's… not the reaction I was expecting.'_

* * *

Rias opened the door to the main building, allowing her and Ibara to enter before letting it close behind her. There wasn't a sign of anyone in the building. It seemed deserted.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Buchou?" Ibara asked. "Shouldn't we tell the others?"

Rias gritted her teeth. She knew she should've done so, but her pride had clouded her judgment. Riser had directly challenged her, so she felt obliged to accept. "I know it's a risk, but after what nearly happened to Izuku, Koneko, Ochako, and Momo, it may be our best chance to end this here and now."

As they approached the student council room, a voice called out. "I've been expecting you." The owner of the voice soon stepped out of the student council room. Chuckling menacingly, Riser said, "Hello, my beloved Rias."

* * *

Ravel was gnawing on the nail of her thumb hard as she watched her unit fight the enemy Pawn, Rooks, and Knight. She had been very anxious ever since the announcement that Yubelluna had been defeated, likely at the hands of the opposing Queen. The large blast of light earlier certainly wasn't hard to miss.

This was not good. Yubelluna was the strongest on their team and with her gone, they didn't have a good chance to win unless Rias decided to forfeit. Not to mention that the Gremory Peerage had yet to lose any of their members and were still fighting hard and strong. It was starting to look as if their unblemished winning streak was about to be broken, all thanks to her brother's ego.

"Dragon Shot!"

Izuku landed a punch in Isabela's gut, a ball of green energy in the Booster Gear's hand. The masked Rook was sent flying back, being carried by the ball of energy, slamming into a tree.

Isabela gave a painful groan as she stood back up. However, she soon started the laugh. "That was great!" She looked at Izuku, a smile on her face. "I have to ask: Are those dragon wings a Quirk or are you really a dragon?"

"Uh, well, I'm actually part dragon," Izuku said.

"Hmm, I see now. My master made a mistake then… And maybe I did as well," she sighed, nodding downwards. "I acknowledge your victory. I retire." The girl before him shone like the others before disappearing, but unlike them, there was a smile on her face.

_["Riser's remaining Rook and his two remaining Pawns have retired."]_

"What?!" Ravel exclaimed. She was so focused on Isabela's fight that she failed to see Koneko defeating Ni and Li with ease.

_*CLASH!*_

When the Yukinoha and Karlamine's flaming broadsword clashed, the Kamar-Taj blade held strong, to Karlamine's shock and interest. "That is an incredibly well-made sword," she stated while getting ready to charge at him. "Where'd you get it?"

"I'm borrowing it from a friend," Yuuto answered. A cold aura began to surround the Yukinoha. "And she's ready to end this!"

_*CLASH!*_

The swords once again locked when Yuuto blocked Karlamine's attack. Suddenly, the flaming blade froze and turned to ice, the flames included, before it shattered, falling apart like glass. "What?!" Karlamine exclaimed before noticing ice creeping up her arm. She wasn't able to do anything about it as she was soon complexity encased in ice. She soon disappeared.

_["One of Riser's Knights has retired."]_

As for Ochako, she found himself in a tight deadlock against Siris, who was trying to push her down with her sword. "I don't plan on failing Riser," said the Knight.

"Same," Ochako retorted. "I don't plan on disappointing Buchou either, and you're not gonna stop me." Siris grinned as she used her sword to create strong winds to push her back. Ochako, however, stood her ground as she kept her stance.

"Reflect!" A pink barrier appeared in front of Ochako right as Siris swung at her. The barrier managed to block the attack, but it cracked from the strain._ 'I gotta take her down now!'_ Ochako aimed her staff at Siris and focused all of her magic into it. "Waterza!" A torrent of water shot out of Ochako's staff, hitting Sirius with incredible force. Mihae, who was giving support to Siris from behind, but hit by the blast as well. The attack sent the Knight Bishop flying back before they vanished.

_["Riser's remaining Knight and one of his Bishops have retired."]_

Ravel stood there flabbergasted that all of her brother's servants were taken down so easily. It was obvious that she severally underestimated the opposing team. Ravel paled as she realized that she was the only one left to deal with as the Red Dragon Emperor turned to face her. It was an awkward few seconds before Ravel said anything, "Well, I suppose it makes sense that Isabela, Siris, and Mihae couldn't beat you. You're quite the wild card," she said, stepping back slightly as she prepared to retreat.

"Um… Thank you…?" Izuku blinked, unsure of what to say or do. "A-anyway, my name is Midoriya Izuku, Rias-san's Pawn. What's your name?"

Ravel blushed and turned her head with her arms folded on her chest, closing her eyes, "H-humph! I already know who you are, thank you very much! Either way, since you've already introduced yourself it should be only polite that I do the same." She pulled on her skirt as she performed a curtsy. "My name is Ravel Phenex, Bishop of Riser Phenex and the youngest daughter of the Phenex Household, one of the 72 Pillars in the Underworld."

Izuku blinked in surprise, "You're a Phenex, too?" Guess that explained why they looked so much alike.

Ravel nodded, "Yes. My master is also my big brother, you see. But the only reason I joined his Peerage is because he said that he wants to fulfill his 'Ultimate Harem' dream. Something about needing a 'little-sister type' to make it happen."

Izuku stared blankly at her for a moment, now understanding why all of his servants wore such… odd clothing. "You're… brother has issues."

"You don't know the half of it." Ravel sighed. She bit her lip nervously as she looked at him, "You're… not going to fight me?"

"To be perfectly honest, you don't look like you want to fight us," Izuku told her. "Especially after you saw what we can do."

Ravel continued to look at the Pawn, trying to stare him down as much as she could. Eventually, she sighed. "You're right. You're too strong for me." She turned back and looked over at the school building, several yards away, "But as strong as you are, I doubt that even you can beat my brother, Red Dragon."

**KA-BOOM!**

A large explosion was heard from the main school building. Smoke billowed and rosed into the air.

"What was that?" Ochako exclaimed, she and the others looking over toward the source.

Momo's voice suddenly spoke through the com-link. _"Buchou! Ibara-san! Come in! What's going on?"_

_"Momo-san!" _Ibara's voice came from the com-link. _"Buchou was challenged by Riser, and now both of them are fighting. Please, we need help now!… Oh no!" _Static cut-off Ibara's voice as another explosion was heard.

"Ibara-san! Ibara!" Izuku called into the com-link. The only thing that prevented him from pain was the lack of Grayfia confirming Ibara's defeat.

"Sorry to say this, but this is what my brother planned from the beginning," everyone turned to Ravel as she spoke. "I have to admit, you people are scary. But in the end, you're only as strong as your King. If she goes, then you go with her."

Izuku grinned his teeth. She was right. Riser must've goaded Rias into fighting him somehow, and she fell for it. If Rias was defeated, then they instantly lose and be put under Riser's authority. There was no way in heaven or hell he was letting that happening! "I'm going on ahead!" Izuku was about to take off when Yuuto stopped him.

"Izuku, hold on!" Izuku turned to Yuuto, just in time to catch his Flame Delete. "Take this. Help Buchou. We'll go get Momo-san and catch up as soon as we can."

Izuku looked to Yuuto, then to Koneko, then Ochako, before nodding. He then glanced at Ravel, who was still standing there with her arms crossed. It looked like she had no intention to interfere. Sighing, he turned back to his friends. "Alright. Wish me luck." And then, he turned back to get to the old school building.

"It's too dangerous to go alone! Take this!" Izuku turned around and quickly caught something thrown at his face. Opening his hand, he saw the familiar vial of Phoenix Tears.

"Ravel-chan?" He blinked, looking at the girl.

"D-d-don't get the wrong idea," Ravel huffed shyly, turning her head, "My brother is the immortal phoenix after all. If he beat you in the state you're in now, it wouldn't be fair."

Izuku smiled before placing the bottle in his pocket. "Thank you." Izuku took to the air and flew as fast as he could to where the explosion had come from.

"Wait, why isn't he taking the vial?!" Ravel asked.

"He wants to give it to Buchou, that's why fried chicken," Koneko answered as she and the others followed Izuku.

It took a second for Ravel to process what the white-haired devil said. "DID SHE JUST CALL ME A CHICKEN?!"

* * *

**BOOM!**

Up on the main building rooftop, Rias shot several volleys of her destructive power. Her opponent countered everything she threw at him with fireballs of his own or simply allowed her attacks to hit him so that his limbs would regenerate from the disintegration. It wasn't entirely one-sided though, as Ibara was several feet away.

Her vines tunneling underneath them, they would burst from the ground to block Riser's attacks. Riser grew increasingly angry every time Ibara blocked him with her vines. "WILL YOU STOP IT?!" He snapped.

Rias smirked. "I've never seen you so angry before, Riser. Planning to give up?"

Riser responded with a smirk of his own. "Not at all, my beloved. And don't worry, I look forward to defeating you and your servants, one in _particular_!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself!" Rias told him in defiance. "You'll have to go through me first before you lay a finger on any of them!" She then shot a beam of her destructive powers at him and cut Riser's right arm off.

The blonde man chuckled at her attempts, seemingly unaffected by the attack. "Resign, Rias," he told her, as flames came out of his severed arm to reform a new one, "I'm calling check. I know every move you're going to make because I know you better that you think, my love."

"Fuck off, Riser!" Rias shouted with a glare as she stepped forward. "You know nothing if you think I'm going to give up that easily! I'll never give up! As a King, I'm ready for war!"

"You leave me no choice then," raising his arm, a large magic circle of the Phenex Family appeared over Riser's hand.

_*ROAR!*_

A large stream of fire rushed towards Rias and Ibara, the largest one yet. The redhead puts up another shield, but she was starting to struggle to hold her own against the end attacks of the Phenex. Then, right as the shield was about to fail…

"Rias!" Ibara leaped to Rias and pushed her aside, taking the full force of the flames.

"Ibara!" Rias cried. As the flames receded, a badly burned Ibara, all of her clothes torched and black, fell to the ground. She soon disappeared.

_["Rias' Bishop has retired."]_

"Humph, that Bishop was so annoying," Riser said, a smug look on his face. "I look forward to putting her in her proper place soon."

Rias screamed in rage and frustration, sending large blasts of her destructive at his midsection, vaporizing him from the chest down. He stayed that way momentarily before flames gathered around him and formed everything that was destroyed good as new. That arrogant smirked pissed her off so much.

"This is checkmate, my dear Rias!" Riser boasted arrogantly, "Without your Bishop, you won't be able to recover! There is still one way you can end this. All you have to do is take my hand and swear your love to me. You won't need to suffer any more pain and humiliation that way!"

Rias gritted her teeth as she tried to struggle from her knees. Using so much of her power drained far faster than she expected. Her clothing was charred and burned from Riser's flames and sweat was pouring down her face. However, she forced whatever strength she had to stand back up defiantly.

"Surely you… jest, Riser…" Rias said between her breaths, grinning proudly, "I've said it once… and I will say it again. The man I want to marry… is _not_ you."

Riser's face twitched and twisted into a scowl. Flaming wings appeared behind his back as the aura of the phoenix rose up behind him. "Is that so? My apologies then, but I'll put an end to your stubbornness here and now, with the purifying flame of the almighty phoenix!" He raised his hands above his head as a large fireball grew out. With a roar, he shot it at Rias with full force. Unable to move from where she stood, Rias closed her eyes as the heat came closer.

But the flames never reached her. Opening her eyes, she found herself staring at the back of someone, with red dragonic wings and a teal jumpsuit. There were two black, curved horns, each over two inches long, coming from the sides of his fluffy green hair. On his left arm as a red gauntlet with a green gem. His right arm was pointing forward toward the flames, a red and black sword absorbing the fire and heat, embers flowing all around him.

Rias blinked slowly, "…Izuku?" she muttered in disbelief.

The boy turned to meet her with a kind smile. Surprisingly, his pupils had turned into cat-like slits. "Sorry I'm late, Buchou. But it's okay. I'm here now." Izuku had arrived to save Rias Gremory.

Rias stared in silence, taking in the sight before her. Right now, he seemed completely different. In some way, it reminded her of All Might's debut video.

"Buchou? Hey, hey Buchou!"

Rias shook her head as her mind snapped back, "…W-what?"

"Are you okay? Can you move?" He asked her.

"Oh…" Rias held her head as she collapsed on her legs, "It seems… I've used a bit too much of my magic. I can barely move at all. Sorry, Izu. I got careless."

Izuku smiled. "It's okay. The others will be here soon." He pulled out the vial from his pocket before giving it to her. "Here. You need this."

Rias stared at the vial before her. "Is that… Phenex Tears? How did…?"

"I'll explain later," Izuku placed the vial in Rias' hand. "Just take it and hang back," he then glared at Riser. "I'll deal with him."

Rias, though reluctant, knew Izuku was right. They had come dangerously close to losing had he not arrived. She popped open the vial and gulped it down. Instantly, her wounds began to heal.

Riser looked bewildered that the Pawn managed to stop his fire so easily, but he regained his composure as he folded his arms. "I must admit, I'm impressed that you managed to blow away my flame like that. Though I feel I should really give the compliment to Rias' Knight," Riser said.

He looked at Izuku the same way one would look at a fly or a worm; no threat at all. He then turned to Rias, "You and your servants all managed to defeat my cute servants, Rias. Even Yubelluna, and no one has ever defeated her before. To reward you for your efforts, I will patiently wait for you to use the Tears and let the remainder of your servants to arrive here…" he then glared at Izuku. "After I burn your Pawn to ashes."

Izuku, Flame Delete in hand, readied himself. "Go ahead and try."

**[****Boost****!]**

"Gladly!" With that, Riser lazily waved a hand and set loose another wave of orange flames. Trusting in Rias to defend herself, Izuku charged ahead. The flames did sting, but he could manage. As Izuku rushed towards him, Riser only spread his arms in victory. "Come on, trash. Nothing you do can hurt me."

_*SLICE!*_

Blood flew in the air. Rias watched in wide-eyed shock.

Izuku had diagonally slashed Riser from his right hip up to his left shoulder.

"GAH!" Riser cried out in pain, as he stubbed backwards a bit. He held his bleeding wound, gritting his teeth in both anger and pain. "You filthy low-life," Riser glowed with a snarl, still feeling the pain of the slash. "What did you do to me?!"

"Nothing," Izuku answered. "It's just that this sword was made to cancel out flames, including the ones you use to regenerate." He then rushed Riser.

"Izuku, no!" Rias begged.

Izuku didn't get far when Riser suddenly appeared before him and grabbed him by the neck, instantly cutting off any air circulation. "You insult me, a noble of the House of Phoenix, boy?" He demanded spitefully. "I've had enough of you!"

Swinging his arm out, he threw Izuku over the edge of the top of the roof.

However, Izuku grabbed his arm when he let go, so that he could bring him down with him, shocking Riser, and making him also fall over.

But before he and Izuku could hit the side of the roof, Riser opened his flaming wings and stopped himself from falling. He then moved outwards and away from the roof, hovering towards an open court. Izuku tried his best to keep a grip on his right arm but could feel his hand slipping.

With a growl, Riser was able to get him to let go when he blasted him with a fireball. Izuku screamed in agony, as the attack also sent him speeding towards the ground. The result was a fiery explosion.

"Stop it!" Rias begged Riser, tears streaming down her face, but to no response. She wasn't worried for the boy anymore. She was scared for him.

Riser grabbed Izuku by the neck and lifted him off the ground. The sudden choking hold made him drop the Flame Delete.

"I praise you for doing this well for a Pawn." He said with his arrogant smirk, but he didn't seem to be joking. His eyes carried a more serious look in them. His clothes and body looked worn, and his wings were smaller than before. "But it's time to end this little contest." Riser's face changed to where his pupils were dilated, giving him a look that almost bordered on insanity. "I'm going to enjoy crushing the life out of you, and I _will_ make it hurt!"

"Riser, stop it!" Rias begged.

The Phenex looked to Rias. "Right, the reason you're being so stubborn is because of him isn't it?" He asked, getting his answer from how she didn't respond. "If you truly care for him, then there is a way to save him: just surrender, my dear Rias."

Rias was left shocked, unable to properly respond.

"Well, my beloved," Riser asked, a slightly amused expression. "What's it going to be?"

**_(My Hero Academia OST - You Say Run)_**

Before she could answer, Izuku, with gritted teeth, yelled out. "Don't listen to him, Rias!" He struggled to speak with his windpipe being tightly crushed, though he continued to glare at Riser.

"Ha! Do you have a death wish, Pawn? Face it, it's over!"

"Not yet… I'm not giving up." Izuku dug into his pocket and pulled out an object. Riser wasn't able to see what it was, but Rias did. It was the bottle of holy water! "I won't stop… Until I save Rias from you!"

**[Transfer!]**

As Izuku brought his arm back, the Boosted Gear glowed green, as the water in the bottle glowed bright gold.

_*SMASH!*_

Swinging his arm in an outwards arch, Izuku's hand smacked into the right side of Riser's head, smashing the bottle of holy water all over his head and face. The impact causing it to shatter on impact, and the water to disperse everywhere.

"UGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Riser screamed out in agony. His grip on Izuku's neck was released, to give himself some distance, as the blonde man grabbed his face with both his hands. He howled under the painful effects of the holy water, as parts of his face had major burns and had steam coming off it.

Rias' eyes widen in shock. _'The holy water is severely depleting his stamina and mental strength! Even the Marquis can't regenerate his mortal mind from something like this!'_ She realized that Izuku let Riser grab him, so he could get the chance to use the holy water. Tears began to swell in her eyes again. Only this time they were tears of joy. "Izuku, you little suicidal genius!"

The steam stopped, leaving Riser's body in a weakened and worn-out state. He panted painfully as he glared at Izuku, "DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE DOING!?" He ranted out. It was amazing he even had the strength to still stand. "RIAS AND I BELONG TOGETHER! OUR UNION HAS BEEN DECIDED! IT'S TRADITION! WHY WOULD YOU GET IN THE WAY OF OUR UNION!" He roared, throwing another fireball at Izuku.

Izuku wrapped his wings around himself, which protected him against the flames as it blew harmlessly around him. After the assault from the powered-up holy water, it was clear that Riser was losing. "I don't give a damn about your so-called traditions and customs," Izuku growled, unfolding his wings. "What matters is that you just don't make her happy. That's why I'm in the way."

"Why aren't you getting it?!" Riser shouted as he charged forward, feeling no other option but to fight Izuku fist to fist. He threw his fists at the boy, who stepped to the side, trapped Riser's arm, and threw him into the ground, using the Phenex's momentum against him. Riser staggered up, glaring hatefully at the Pawn. "This engagement is essential for the survival of our kind! It is for our future! Why is a selfish brat you like interfering with this?! Answer me!"

"Because you don't deserve her!" Izuku shouted back. "All you'll care about is treating her like some trophy and it makes her miserable! You don't know the first thing about love!" Izuku took hold of Ibara's old cross, wrapping it around his Boosted Gear. "I'm only going to say this once, Riser…" Izuku glared, readying another punch as green energy surrounded his body. "Never make Rias cry again! DRAGON SMASH!"

Izuku charged at Riser full speed, his fist colliding with the scarred face of Riser as hard as it could. The force sent Riser flying back, smashing against a wall that shattered upon impact. Izuku panted as he stared at where Riser hit. He didn't see any movement, but he wanted to be ready just in case. Fortunately, he got his answer when Grayfia spoke.

_["Riser Phenex, the King, has retired. Victory of this Rating Game goes to Rias Gremory."]_

Breathing heavily, Izuku dropped the cross before he screamed with all his might. "AAAAAAAAH!" Izuku's head then began to get dizzy, his legs going limp.

_*Boing!*_

He didn't land on the ground, though. Instead, his head fell between two soft pillows, the owner of which was wrapping her arms around him. "Oh, Izuku… My adorable little Izuku… You saved my life…Thank you so much…" she whispered in his ear, tears of joy welling down her face.

Izuku, of course, was blushing in embarrassment from the fact that Rias was deliberately pressing his head against her bosom. But he just smiled as he returned the hug as best he could, hearing his teammates cheering behind them as they came closer.

Not far away in the air with her own set of flaming wings, Ravel Phenex stared in shock. "No way…" she whispered to herself. Her brother actually lost?! She frowned though, remembering that Riser did technically bring it upon himself with the way he was acting. It was bound to happen sooner or later, she just didn't expect it to be like this.

She then turned to look at the boy who defeated him, Izuku. She hated to admit it, but she was impressed with his strategy. She was expecting Rias to have been their strategist, not her Pawn. Ravel then recalled that Rias was studying at U.A. High, Japan's most revered hero school. _'Does that mean the Welsh Dragon is going to be a hero someday?'_

Unbidden, bedtime stories and fairy tales of her childhood came to the forefront of her thoughts, and she blushed when she superimposed the boy… Izuku, cute freckles and all… into those stories. Ravel shook her head, trying to discourage herself from any fanciful thoughts. She had to go check on her brother. After that, she needed to speak with her mother.

* * *

A few minutes later, the ORC had returned to their real clubroom. Rias was sitting next to Izuku on the sofa, being sure to be as close to him as she could. Kyoka and Mizu were waiting for them, congratulating them on their victory.

"That sure was a risky gambit, Izuku. Nice job," Yuuto smiled, shaking his head humorously.

"To be honest, I'm just surprised it worked," Izuku admitted, looking up at Yuuto.

"Whatever the case may be, our Rating Game was the highest viewed one since the first," Rias said with a wide smile. "We've already gotten feedback from various members of the royal families amazed by our performance. Some of you even got nicknames. Momo here is being called the 'Princess of Thunder'."

"Really!?" Momo flushed, while Kyoka smiled.

"I think it suits you," Kyoka said.

"You got a new nickname too," Izuku turned to Koneko. In an odd sight, the normally stoic girl was actually smiling at him. It was… cute. "Red Hero Dragon. It works for you. Good job," she said, giving him a thumbs up.

"Red Hero…?" Izuku chuckled sheepishly.

"Izuku-san?" Izuku turned over to Ibara, who was perfectly fine. She was smiling, but her eyes were downcast. "You were amazing out there."

"Hey it was a team effort, Ibara," Ochako smiled. "We all had a hand in beating Riser and his team. Heck, it was because of you that we won. Buchou would've lost against Riser if you weren't there."

"Ochako-san's right. We're all proud of you, Ibara-san." Izuku nodded, causing Ibara to smiled back, the shine in her eyes returning. "Also… I need to apologize." Ibara blinked as she looked at him, "I promise that I would protect you, that I would keep you safe. But then Riser took you out like that." He bowed his head, "I'm so sorry."

Ibara smiled and shook her head, "It's alright. There's nothing to apologize for. All that matters now is that we made it home together. Right?"

Izuku stood up and looked at her in surprise. He gave a smiling nod, "Right!"

The door to the clubroom opened up, and two separate groups walked inside. It was the Sitri peerage, followed by the newspaper club. "Sona, Kudelia. What a pleasant surprise," Rias smiled. "What brings you here?"

"We just came to congratulate you on your first Rating Game victory," Sona said, smiling back. "You all pulled off quite a show… especially with your Pawn, Midoriya."

Izuku stumbled as he felt a hand slap against his back. Looking behind him, he saw Kudelia grinning cheekily at him. "I'll say! You fried his goose real good, Izu!"

"Uh, thanks," Izuku smiled awkwardly. He could still feel the sting of her hand.

"Midoriya-san," Izuku looked up to see Milia smiling at him while blushing. "You were amazing."

"Yeah! You should see what they're saying about you in the undernet forums," Saji added.

"Undernet?" Izuku asked.

"The Underworld's Internet," Rias clarified.

"The Underworld has internet?"

"Earth has progressed far," Sona replied. "The humans have their internet so why shouldn't we? We have Lord Beelzebub to thank for that. He's very interested in things humans are creating nowadays."

"Anyway, let's hurry up and party to celebrate Rias' first Rating Game!" Luciana suggested.

"A party?" Sona blinked, cocking her head.

"Why not?" She pulled out several cases from out of nowhere and flashed them out. "And I brought movies! Got musicals, anime, comedy, romance, horror, action, all the good stuff!"

"Sounds good!" A new voice suddenly said. "It's been a long time since I saw a movie that was made in the human world."

Kudelia comically dropped her discs in shock at the sound of the adult male voice. Everyone turned at the sound of the voice. Standing at the open space of the room under a dimming magic circle was a handsome man in his early 20s with short shoulder-length crimson hair and cyan eyes, making him strongly resemble Rias. He was dressed in an elaborate silver and grey robe with a large and elaborate gold shoulder-dress that stretched out like a set of eight wings. Standing at his side was Grayfia, who stood by impassive as ever.

"'zechs!" Rias gasped. "W-what are you doing here?" She stuttered, a look of embarrassment appearing on her face.

"Hey, Ria-tan," the man, Rias' brother, winked.

The other devils in the vicinity quickly remembered themselves and got down on one knee and bowed their heads in respect, Mizu doing the same. Only Izuku, Ochako, Momo, Ibara and Kyoka looked around in confusion before releasing that they had to do the same, quickly doing as such. "Rise all of you. I'm not here as the Devil King tonight," the man smiled kindly, raising his hand. Everyone stood up at his words.

_'This is Buchou's brother?'_ Izuku thought to himself, looking at the man as his face paled slightly. _'He's Lucifer, the Devil King?!'_

_'This is _the_ Devil King?'_ Ibara thought to herself as she stared at the man.

_'He's not at all what I was expecting…'_ Kyoka thought.

"Isn't it the duty of the big brother to support his younger sister?" Rias' brother smiled humorously, "Oh, how cold you've become, Ria-tan~."

Ochako began to shake, trying to surpass her laughter. _'He calls Buchou such a cute nickname!'_

"But that's… you can't just… gah!" Rias groaned as she held her head.

_'I've never seen Buchou act like this before!' _Momo thought in amazement.

"So, this is the Red Dragon Emperor I've heard so much about," Rias' brother smiled at Izuku, who visibly flinched.

"H-h-hai! M-my n-n-name's M-M-Midoriya I-Izuku, sir!" He stuttered.

"Please, there's no reason to be scared." Rias' brother extended a hand in friendship. "Nice to meet you. My name is Sirzechs Lucifer, formally known as Sirzechs Gremory, one of the Four Satans of the Underworld and Rias' older brother."

"R-right! P-pleasure t-t-to m-meet you." Izuku shook Sirzechs hand. _'He's a lot friendlier than I was expecting.'_

"The pleasure is all mine," Sirzechs said, retracting his hand.

"Marquis and Lady Phenex were very unpleased with the results of the Rating Game. But due to the arrangement of the wager, they had no other choice but to call off the engagement," Grayfia said. "You're a free woman now, milady."

"Give my sincerest apologies to them," Rias nodded, giving a relaxed sigh, "I know they meant well, but their third eldest son just wasn't the man I was looking for."

"There's no reason to apologize. In fact, Marquis Phenex wanted to thank you, Welsh Dragon," Sirzechs said.

"Eh?"

"He said that Riser needed a good lost," Sirzechs continued. "'He had a bad habit of overestimating the abilities of our family, so I'm sure he leaned quite the lesson from the Rating Game. If he has learned that the Phoenix is not absolute, that would be enough.' Those were the Marquis' words."

Izuku nodded. "So is Riser okay?" As much as Izuku didn't like the guy, he'd feel bad if Riser was crippled because of him.

"I assure you, Riser is fine," Sirzechs reassured. "It'll take more than enhanced holy water to take down a Phenex."

Izuku sighed in relief, glad that Riser will be okay. He still considered him a prick, though.

"Very good. Now then," Grayfia bowed before turning to Sirzechs. "Milord, it's time for us to depart."

"But Grayfia, can't we stay at least for a little bit?" Sirzechs practically whined, a feat unbecoming of a Devil King. The maid frowned as she reached up and pitched his cheek, pulling it hard. "Owowowow, dat hwurts!"

"Now, Milord," Grayfia demanded. And Sirzechs had no other choice but to comply as the magic circle glowed again and teleported both Sirzechs and Grayfia away.

"…What the hell just happened?" Kyoka asked.

* * *

And thus, the three Peerages celebrated that night. Turns out one of the movies Kudelia had brought along was _Alien_. Kyoka, who apparently doesn't like anything scary, occasionally had to shut her eyes and squeeze grab onto someone's arm, the most often one being Momo, though she did grab Izuku's once. Needless to say, a lot of stuttering and glares resulted from that. Still, it was a very good time and everyone enjoyed themselves. It was a great night to be a devil.

Eventually, everyone had to return home for the evening. Izuku volunteered to stay behind to clean up. It seemed like a lot to do at first, but the work went by quicker than he expected. Putting the last of the junk in the garbage bag, he sighed as he tied the bag up.

Once he finished, Izuku made his way to the door. Just as he walked to the clubroom door, the door opened and a figure with familiar crimson hair stepped in.

"Izu?" the figure asked, blinking.

"Buchou? You're still here?" Izuku greeted.

Rias stepped inside and closed the door behind her. "Thought you could use some help cleaning up… but it looks like you already took care of that."

"Yeah, it wasn't that much," Izuku said, rubbing the back of his head.

The room suddenly fell into silence. The sole occupants fidgeted awkwardly, the faces blushing as they looked away from each other shyly. Both were unsure of what they wanted to say next. And then, they spoke up.

"Izu/Buchou…!"

Both blinked in surprise, both caught off guard from how they called each other's names all of a sudden. They blushed brighter, looking down at the floor in embarrassment. "Y-you first," Izuku stuttered.

Rias looked at Izuku as she took a breath, "Um… I just wanted to thank you again…" Izuku cocked his head at her words. She gazed out the window as she continued talking, "My engagement to Riser has been a burden to me for a long time. I thought that my parents would never let me have free rein over my life; that I'd never be able to live the way I wanted." Then she turned to gaze at Izuku, a beautiful smile and joyful tears on her face, "And then I met you. It's thanks to you that I'm no longer betrothed to Riser. I can live by myself from now on because of you. Thank you."

Izuku felt his cheeks heat up at her gratitude and her appearance under the moonlight. "I'm… I'm glad I could help," he replied. Rias smiled at her bashfulness before her expressional slightly downed. She walked over to him and rested her hands against both sides of his head, pulling his face close to hers. "B-B-Buchou?" Izuku blinked, eyes widening.

"Izu…" Rias interrupted again, her voice in a hushed whisper. "I'm free, but only for now. With me being the daughter of the duke, there's still the possibility that there will be another talk of engagement and more to come. When that time comes… will you fight by my side again?"

"Of course I will," Izuku nodded, still blushing.

"Truly?"

"I'm your Pawn, right?" Izuku told her. "Even if I wasn't and was still a normal human, I'll just come and save you no matter what-!"

His words were cut off by Rias pressing her lips against his. The feeling of Rias' lips on his made Izuku's eyes widened and his whole head burn red. As she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against, Izuku slowly relaxed and closed his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Finally, she broke away from him. A saliva trail bridged the small gap between their mouths and flushes on their faces. "Bu… Buchou…" he managed to mutter, out of breath.

Rias giggled, the sly fox-like side of her showing, "That was your first kiss, wasn't it?" Izuku was only able to nod. "It was mine too. Japanese girls treasure their first kisses, don't they?"

"Y-yeah," Izuku said, his brain still registering.

"Hm…" Rias licked her lips, a saucy look appearing in her eyes. "One more time, but with feeling."

Izuku only had a moment to blink before Rias kissed him again, this time with intense passion as she pushed him against the wall. Rias' tongue pried into his mouth, lapping the wet innards of his mouth, wrestling his tongue to submit to her. He could feel her tongue brushing up onto his. He could feel how soft and moist it was, how sweet it tasted. His mind shut down as he gave himself up to her, responding to her wiles.

The world disappeared around him and so there was only the hot French kiss. The feeling in muscles grew weak as he slid down on the wall, Rias quickly taking the opportunity straddle on his waist. They eventually pulled apart, the lips only centimeters apart. Their eyes opened half-way, Rias' glowed in a dim red with black slits, while Izuku's eyes glowed in a soft green with red slits. They rested their foreheads together as they smiled, enjoying each other's company and warmth before continuing.

* * *

[Brat, you doing okay?]

…

[Izuku?]

Ddraig had grown concern for his partner once he returned home. Izuku was sitting alone in his bed, his knees held up to his chest as his mind was still something of a blur. It was only a short time after he had returned home that he realized he had his first kiss with a girl and Izuku didn't seem to be handling it well.

"I-KISSED-A-GIRL!I-KISSED-RIAS-SENPAI!I-mean-I-really-like-her-too-but-I-wasn't- mentally-prepared-for-all-that!What-should-I-say?Is-it-too-early-to-tell-her-I-lo-lo-like-her-too?Is-that-going-to-make-things-weird?I-have-to-say-something!"

Ddraig sweat-dropped at his partner's mumbling. It appears that an error has occurred with MidoriyaIzuku dot EXE.

[This is going to be a thing for a while, isn't it?] He groaned.

Izuku didn't hear the dragon. All he could think about was that he had kissed his master. It felt like they were kissing for at least an hour and Rias was leading him along all the way. She even found a spot at the crock on his neck that made him completely mush in her arms. Without releasing it, he rubbed his fingers on the side of his neck, softly rubbing against a small red spot where she marked him. Maybe it was conditioning between master and servant or something else altogether, he didn't know. But the kiss wasn't the only thing on his mind.

First Ibara, then Ochako, now Rias! Ever since he became a devil girls had been falling for him one after the other. He had noticed that Ibara seemed slightly protective, and Ochako would occasionally blush when near him, but Rias kissing him like that confirmed it. This was just too much. Sure, he always found them attractive, but he never really thought much about getting into a relationship, even before he began training to get into U.A.

Lying in his bed, his mind went a million miles per hour, trying to come up with a solution. Sure, being in a relationship wasn't uncommon among heroes, but not many actively pursue any or make it public knowledge. In fact, the only heroes he knew of that were in relationships was Endeavor. Though it was likely lots of heroes were keeping their relationships out of the public eye.

[Hurry up and get some sleep, brat. You'll need it.]

Having finally heard Ddraig, Izuku took his advice and closed his eyes, his last thoughts before sleep took him being filled with both excitement and fear of his love life.

* * *

The next day, a large number of boxes were outside the Midoriya apartment. The reason why made itself clear as Rias talked to Inko. "And that about sums it up. I will now be living here from today onwards," Rias said, bowing towards Inko from her seat, "I'll be in your care from now on."

Inko simply sat there, trying her best to process this. "Of course…" Inko replied, albeit with an awkward smile. "The pleasure is all mine, Rias-chan. It's just… First Ibara, then Ochako, now you… This is a little much for me. Not that I don't mind the company, but is there any particular reason for you moving in?"

Rias took a small sip of her tea and smiled, "I just want to be closer with my kouhai. Is that so bad?" She leaned into Izuku, who began to blush while Ibara and Ochako glared at Rias.

"You've become very fond of my son, Rias-chan," Inko commented, looking at both Izuku and Rias.

"I suppose I have," Rias answered happily. "The truth is that he helped me out of a jam recently and I can't tell you how grateful I am for that."

Once they finished talking, the four teens began to bring in Rias' belongings. All 20 boxes worth. "How are we gonna fit all this in the apartment?" Ochako asked.

"We'll find a way," said Rias.

Ibara puffed her cheeks as she carried a couple of boxes in. "At this rate, polygamy made be the only option," she muttered. "But that goes against the teachings of the Lord… but if this continues, then…"

"Uh, Ibara-san, what are you talking about?" Izuku asked.

Ibara immediately blushed. "How much did you hear?" she asked.

"Only about it being against the teachings of the Lord part," he answered.

"Then it's nothing," she huffed, turning away.

"That's right, Hisashi! One girl after the other!" Inko spoke through her phone as she watched the four teens bring in Rias' belongings. "I honestly don't know what to do…"

"Izuku," Rias called. "Once we finish, how about we have a shower together? I'll wash your back."

"Huh?" Izuku blinked, quickly turning to her.

Once Inko heard this, she began to pale. "Ri-Rias-chan just offered to wash Izuku's back…"

Ibara fumed as she quickly went to hug Izuku's arm, "Hey! I don't want to be left out! I'm washing his back too!"

"Huh!?" Izuku exclaimed again, turning to Ibara.

"I'm not letting either of you wash his back without me!" Ochako exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around Izuku from behind.

"Huh!?"

Inko's already paling face began to become pure white. "Think of a solution, quick!" she yelled into the phone. "The other girls all offered to wash Izuku's back!"

"Ohohoho, is that right?" Rias laughed humorously, hugging Izuku's free arm and being extra sure to squeeze it between her breasts, "Ibara-chan, Ochako-chan, is this a declaration of war? Challenge accepted then. Whoever wins gets to sleep with Izu-kun."

"HUH?!" Izuku shouted for the fourth time, looking back and forth at Ibara, Ochako, and Rias.

Inko, with a mortified look, yelled into the phone. "SEX EDUCATION! OUR SON NEEDS SEX EDUCATION!" She promptly fainted.

* * *

**A/N:**

***sigh* I stand corrected: THIS is the longest chapter yet! AND IT'S FINALLY DONE! *comically collapses due to exhaustion***

**I think the hardest part about this chapter were the scenes with Riser and Yubelluna. Trying to stay true to both series yet be original is not easy.**

**At least Rias has officially moved in with Deku! And it looks like one little Phenex has developed a crush on our dragon boy. Poor Inko, though. She's not yet ready to handle so many girls in her son's life, though that probably doesn't mean she's not ready for grandkids to spoil. (By the way, the last scene was in part inspired by _Rosario + Vampire_, where Tsukune's mom was calling his dad about the girls as they ran out of the house.)**

**I've also decided to share a list of the girls who will be in Izuku's harem. It won't include every girl I currently have in mind and is subjected to change, of course: Rias Gremory (main girl), Shiozaki Ibara, Uraraka Ochako, Yaoyorozu Momo, Tokage Setsuna, Jiro Kyoka, Xenovia Quarta, Ravel Phenex, Asui Tsuyu, Melissa Shield, Hatsume Mei, Toujou Koneko, Milia Takamaki (OC), Kendo Itsuka, Hadou Nejire, and Ashido Mina (16 out of 23, at least!)**

**Anyway, next chapter we'll finally be moving back into MHA canon with the start of U.A.'s first semester! Wonder who we'll see?**

**I hope you all look forward to when we get to U.A. See you next time. PLUS ULTRA!**

**EDIT: Did a retcon here involving Momo. Originally she used One For All to beat Riser's Queen, but after some thinking, I decided to change it to her and Izuku working together.**


	19. The First Step

Morning arrived and Izuku was sound asleep. The rising sun shined on his face, causing him to stir slightly from the brightness. Mumbling in his sleep, he turned over from the sun's rays and planted his face into a soft pillow.

"Hahn…"

The boy flinched as he heard a soft moan next to him. Opening his eyes, he found himself staring into two pink circles connected to milk-colored balls. "Huh? What is…?" Izuku whispered, his eyes widening slightly. A pair of slender arms suddenly looped around his head and pulled him closer into the strange pillow. His face turned a familiar shade of crimson, realizing too late what the 'pillows' really were.

_'BBBBBBOOOOOOOBBBBS~!'_

His eyes widened and bulged out, realizing that the boobs his face was pressed against were Rias'. The girl slowly shifted in her sleep, stirring as she sat up to reveal all her glory and opened her eyes. Blinking, she looked down at Izuku's eyes and smiled.

"Good morning, Izu-kun," Rias smiled.

"G-g-g-good m-m-morning…" Izuku greeted shyly, not moving due to shock. "W-why are you in my bed? N-n-n-na-naked? A-again?"

"What? Don't you like having a cute girl sleeping in bed with you?" Rias pouted playfully, squeezing her breasts with her arms to make them swell out.

"It-it isn't like that!" Izuku blushed, looking down, "I-It's… w-w-well…"

Rias just laughed as she rubbed Izuku's head, "Oh, Izu. Has anyone told you how adorable you look when you're flustered like that?" She relaxed as she positioned herself over him. "It's a lot easier for me to sleep in the nude, it's comfortable that way."

"T-t-that's n-not the m-m-main i-i-i-i-issue…"

Rias giggled, "Ufufufu. I couldn't help myself. I wanted to sleep with my favorite hug pillow."

_'Hug pillow?'_ Izuku felt his shoulders being pressed down onto the bed. Rias pinned him down on the shoulders as she climbed onto his waist. "W-w-wha-what are you…?" he asked shyly.

"You know Izu, we still have some time," Rias said in a soft purring voice that made him shiver, slowly stroking his chin as she bent down, her breasts pressing on his chest. "Do you think if something sexy were to happen right now it'll help communications with my beloved servant?" To seal the deal she planted a small kiss on his neck.

Izuku's thoughts began to go haywire as he tried to rationalize what was happening. "I-I-I-I…" he stuttered.

"Then you want me to take a go at you?" Izuku gasped as he looked up at her charming face, "It's alright. Let's have fun together, okay?"

Blushing, Izuku's body began to move on its own, his and Rias' face just inches apart as they were about to kiss…

A sudden knock on the door interrupted them. "Are you up yet, Izuku-san? It's almost time for you to start your morning training~!" Ibara called through the door in a sing-song voice.

"And we have orientation today. We can't be late," Ochako called.

"Oh shoot, I completely forgot about that," Rias realized, bopping herself on the head.

"Izu-kun, can you hear us? Are you up yet?"

Izuku's eyes widened as he realized that he couldn't let Ibara or Ochako see him with Rias like this. He had to come up with some way to make sure they don't open the door. "I'm up!" Izuku called over, "Just give me a sec!"

Then Rias, with a mischievous smile, said, "Ibara-chan, Ochako-chan, can you give us a minute? I'm still in bed with Izu-kun and we have to get ready."

Izuku froze as he turned to Rias in a look of mock betrayal. The devil was smiling back at him with a playful look in her eyes. _'She did that on purpose!'_ That was when the door swung open. Ibara stood there with a stunned face, tears in her eyes, while Ochako's eyes were stark white.

"I hope you're both doing well today," Rias greeted happily.

"IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!" Izuku exclaimed.

Ochako simply looked on, still stunned at the sight of both of them in the bed with the president in her birthday suit. Ibara, however, began to pull her shirt over her head, "Whatever it is I'm taking off my clothes too!" she declared as she stripped herself of her shirt and removed her bra, leaving her breasts left to bare.

"He-hey!" Ochako exclaimed. "If you're doing it, then so am I! I'm not gonna be left out either!" she declared as she began to strip also.

_'Why is this happening?!'_ Izuku mentally screamed.

* * *

After the debacle this morning, Izuku, Rias, and a still fuming Ibara and Ochako finished their morning training before returning to the apartment to clean and get dressed in their U.A. uniforms. Once dressed, Rias began to make breakfast. Despite Inko's insistence that she didn't need to do house chores, Rias was adamant in helping out around the apartment just like everyone else. The meal before them was one such example.

"So good," Inko complimented as she finished the miso soup Rias had made. "You're a great cook, Rias-chan."

"Yeah. This rice is really great." Izuku agreed as he enjoyed the breakfast. Something he found out when she started living with them was that Rias was an expert at cooking Japanese food, western food, and Chinese food. She had a wide range of cooking skills and can cook food of the finest quality. He honestly thought she would be bad at these kinds of things because of her upbringing, but it turned out to be the opposite. Living in the human world for as long as she's been doing must have paid off.

"Why thank you," Rias said with a warm smile from the other side of the table where she sat right next to Izuku.

Izuku blushed a bit in response. Ibara, who was sitting on the other side of Izuku, pouted in jealousy at how much attention he was giving Rias. She closed her eyes and wiped her head away, before pinching Izuku's right arm and twisting, causing him to cringe in pain. When she let go, he was about to ask why she did that, only to notice the way Ochako was looking at him from across the table, her eyes covered in the shadow of her hair.

Izuku gulped nervously, deciding to drop the issue. Ever since the three girls moved in, each had settled into a sort of role to help in the apartment. When Ibara first moved in, she originally tried to help with the cooking. The result was a lot of smoke, burnt black eggs and juice (somehow), and reassuring the fire department. Ibara settled with doing laundry after that.

Ochako certainly did help with the cooking occasionally, having learned to do so since she lived on her own for a bit. Mostly, though, she helped Inko with the shopping, finding the best items at the cheap stores and other ways to save money. However, she couldn't compete with Rias. While Ochako wasn't a bad cook, per se, the redhead just seemed to make everything she cooked delicious.

"While I am grateful that you and the other girls help with the chorus, I do wish you keep quiet in the morning." Once Inko said this, the girls and Izuku all stopped eating and blushed.

"You… heard what happened this morning?" Izuku asked, mortified.

"The walls aren't that thick," Inko pointed out. "I know you girls can't help yourselves, but at least try to wait until after you graduate before giving me grandchildren."

The teens suddenly lost their appetites.

* * *

A few minutes later and the four were riding the train to U.A. High. After a couple of stops, they arrived at the platform that serviced U.A., meeting Momo, Kyoka, Koneko, and Yuuto along the way. A couple of other U.A. students also got off the train with them.

Izuku blushed a little when a young boy pointed at him and the rest of the U.A. students as his mother was leading him onto the train. "Wow, Mommy, look! U.A. students! Are they all future heroes?"

"Some of them will be." The mother answered.

Due to the uniforms, it was almost impossible to tell U.A. hero course students apart from students of the other three major departments: General, Support, and Business. Speaking of…

"Koneko-chan, why are you wearing a U.A. uniform?" Ochako asked. Koneko was wearing a school uniform nearly identical to U.A. High's, the only difference being that the gray blazer was replaced by a gray jacket and it larked the tie.

"…It's the first day for U.A. Middle School."

"Huh?"

"Oh, right. I heard about that," said Izuku. "Apparently, U.A. decided to adopt an Escalator system last year. While U.A. High will remain the main school, there's now an Elementary school, Middle school, and a college."

"My father had a hand in that," said Rias. "He originally wanted me to stay at Kuoh Academy, but I was adamant about attending U.A. Good thing, otherwise we wouldn't have met!" Rias playfully took hold of Izuku's arm, pressing it against her breast, causing the boy to turn red while Ibara and Ochako glared in jealousy.

It was just a short walk up the road to the U.A. campus, and from here it became easier to start telling students apart, at least by year. While the first years seemed to be equal parts nervous and excited, the upperclassmen were hanging around within their friend groups, chatting to each other about their end of year break.

Koneko went to a newly made pathway toward the middle school, the teens wishing their kouhai a good first day before heading inside. "Do you think Shitori-senpai got us on the same homeroom?" Kyoka asked.

"One way to find out," Rias walked to the bulletin board, where lists for all of the classes for the different departments were posted.

"So what class is everyone in?" Momo asked. Everyone else looked over the bulletin board, trying to find their names. "I'm in 1-A." She told everyone.

"Same here," Kyoka said.

"I also got into 1-A!" Ochako said happily.

"I'm in 1-A as well," said Izuku. "What about you, Ibara-san?" He asked, only to frown when he saw the sad look on Ibara's face. Following her eyes, Izuku saw Ibara's name to in 1-A, but 1-B.

"1… 1-B…," she said sadly.

"You're not going to be in the same class as us?" Ochako asked, wanting to make sure she heard right.

"It's okay, we can still have lunch together," placated Izuku. "And our assignments should be similar to each other that we can study together."

"Right," Rias added. "And from what I heard, they'll be plenty of times where both her course classes will train together. Besides, you spend plenty of time with him at home."

Ibara brightened up a bit upon hearing that. She was sad she won't be in the same class as Izuku and mad that one of her 'love rivals' is, it wasn't the end of the world.

"We should get to our respective classrooms," Momo said. "It would be bad to be late on the first day of class."

The others agreed and quickly went into the school building. After saying goodbye with Ibara and Rias, for now, Izuku, Momo, Ochako, and Kyoka headed to their new classroom.

It didn't take long for them to find the classroom in question. It was a large door that almost reached the ceiling with 1-A written on it in red. Kyoka whistled at the sight of the large door. "Geez, there's gonna be some tall people in here."

Izuku gave a nervous nod and swallowed a lump in his throat. "Yep, some of the most promising students in the country are behind that door…"

"Well, why keep them waiting?" Ochako asked.

Izuku, Kyoka, and Momo nodded, seemingly approving of what she had in mind. Ochako gave them a toothy smile and opened the door to…

"Take your feet off the desk immediately!"

"Huh?!"

Sadly, they opened the door to see the one person they weren't looking forward to seeing. They watched as the class 1-A students Iida Tenya and Bakugo Katsuki argue over the matter of… Bakugo leaning his feet on the desk. As the four watched the scene unfold, only one thought came into their heads…

_'Lucky Ibara…'_

As the two continued to argue, they stopped when they noticed the three standing in the door. "It's you…" Iida muttered as he looked at Izuku, making him flinch. Meanwhile, Bakugo just sent a glare to the group which Ochako returned. Iida, noticing the way Izuku flinched, swiftly said, "I wanted to apologize, I completely misjudged you then when it was clear you figured out there was more to the exams then I did. You are clearly a far superior student to me!" He said dramatically, his arms making a chopping motion.

"The robot arms might be a bit much, dude," another voice spoke. Looking towards the source of the voice, Izuku saw that it was the duel-toned boy from the lecture hall. He too was wearing the standard U.A. uniform, though it was sloppy and he still had the belts. But at least it still has the tie, unlike Bakugo's. "Good to see you made it. Oh, I'm Kido Hyde, by the way. Just call me Hyde if you want."

"I'm Iida Tenya," the spectacle boy greeted.

"Jiro Kyoka."

"Yaoyorozu Momo."

"Uraraka Ochako!"

"And I'm Midoriya Izuku. It's very nice to meet you."

"Midoriya!" Some of the students gasped. When all of the students received their acceptance into U.A., they had been given only their scores. Since then, the scores for the practical exam had become public knowledge to the students. Any student could look up the final scores for every other student. And those students who had looked up that information knew that Izuku had won the top score in the practical exam. Mostly from his crazy amount of rescue points rocketing up to the top on their own.

The duel-toned boy stared at him for a moment. He had probably seen the scores. But then he smiled and clapped Izuku on the shoulder. "So you're the top scorer, huh? Good job. I have no idea what you did to get so many rescue points, but it obviously worked out for you."

Izuku blushed a bit and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "There's no reason to make it such a big deal." After everything that happened with Riser, Izuku had honestly forgotten that he scored first place.

However, one of the students in the room narrowed his eyes at Izuku upon hearing his name. Like Hyde he had dual-colored hair, only it was split vertically, his right half being white and the left red. He also had dual-colored eyes with the right eye gray and the left eye blue. He also had a burn scar over his left eye. _'So… he's the one who got first on the entrance exam…'_ He thought as he starred at the green-haired teen.

He wasn't the only one. Another student's attention was drawn from her book to Izuku upon hearing this. She has long, dark red hair that reached down to her waist, pale skin, deep violet eyes, and a bust that could rival Momo's. Izuku didn't look that impressive, but based on some of the stories her father told her, looks can be deceiving.

As some of the students were getting to know each other, they failed to notice that _something_ had made its way to the classroom door.

"If you just came here to make friends you can pack your things now."

Izuku, Iida, Ochako, Momo, Kyoka, and Hyde all froze. Izuku leaned around Ochako and saw… a human-sized larva with a human face laying on the floor of the hallway. Or, rather, it was an adult male in a bright yellow sleeping bag.

Possibly their teacher, or at least some authority figure.

All of the students rushed to their seats. It was assigned seating, which had been given to each student with their classroom assignment. As quickly as possible, Izuku counted rows until he spotted his seat. Four rows over and third seat back. Izuku barely noticed that Bakugo happened to be in the seat right in front of his, while Momo was at the back of his row. Ochako was across the room in the last seat of the first row, Iida sitting in front of her. Kyoka was in the row next to Izuku's, having the unfortunate pleasure of sitting next to Bakugo. A few seconds later, all of the students were seated quietly.

The larva man stood up while still inside his sleeping bag. "It took eight-seconds for you to get to your seats and be quiet. That's not going to work at all. Rational students would know better." He stepped outside of his sleeping bag. "I'm Aizawa Shota, your homeroom teacher."

While most of the people blinked in shock, Izuku narrowed his eyes. He had a rather vast knowledge of most pro heroes, being able to recognize most of them by a glance, but this pro wasn't someone he was familiar with. Or rather, he couldn't recognize him from the top of his head.

He stood at the front of the classroom, glanced over each of them briefly before he spoke again. "Now then, we have a lot to do. You've all received your gym uniforms, right? Put them on and meet me outside."

Ochako nervously raised her hand. "Um… sir… aren't we supposed to be going to orientation today?"

Aizawa met her eyes with a level gaze until she couldn't meet his eyes anymore. "The orientation is nothing more than speeches, and a waste of time. U.A. doesn't follow the normal curriculum, which means that I have permission to run my class however I want. We only have three years to turn you into pro heroes, and we can't afford to let even a moment go to waste. Now, follow me to the locker rooms, change into your gym clothes, and meet me outside."

* * *

"1-B, 1-B? Where is it?" Ibara asked herself as she walked through the halls of U.A. High School. After having to separate from Izuku and the others she's been looking for the hero class 1-B… with little luck so far. She knew it was on this floor, somewhere. She just hoped she could find it before class begins. However as she was walking, she failed to notice someone right in front of her until she bumped into that person, sending them falling to the floor. "Ooow…" Ibara groaned.

"Oh my goodness, I'm sorry! Are you… okay? …Shiozaki-san?" A gentle female voice asked. Ibara looked ahead and saw a familiar face the typical U.A. uniform for girls.

"Takamaki-san?" Ibara asked.

"Milia, is something wrong?" Ibara looked up and saw Celica walking up to them. Unlike Ibara or Milia, Celica wore the blazer for her U.A. uniform as a cape, using a red string and snaps to keep it in place. "Huh? Oh, you're Shiozaki, right?"

"Uh, yes," Ibara answered as she stood up along with Milia. "You're Mercery-san, correct? Are you and Takamaki-san in the hero course as well?"

"Yep!" Celica confirmed. "Milia here trained a lot so she can be with Mido-"

"Celiac-san! Please stop!" Milia whined, covering her friend's mouth.

Ibara, however, quickly realized what Celica was about to say. Though she didn't show it outwardly, she was glaring at Milia. _'Another love rival!'_

"Anyway, let's get moving!" Said Celica. "Just leave the pathfinding to me!"

"Please, no!" Milia cried.

Just then they heard footsteps ahead of them and look to see one of the teachers of U.A. He had a cowboy look to him as seen from the cowboy hat with an S on it that he was hearing as well and the red cape he had and the belt around him which had a gun in one of its pouches as well as the boots which had spurs on them. He also seemed to have an old school gas mask covering his face.

Ibara wasted no time in walking up to the pro and getting his attention. "Um excuse me, sir, do you know where Class 1-B is?"

"Yep," he answered as he looked between Ibara, Milia, and Celica. "I'm guessing you three are here for the hero course?" The three students nodded their heads in response. "Well, just go down this hall then make a left. The door is the 2nd on the right and has 1-B written in red on it. Can't miss it."

The three bowed to him and said 'Thank you sir' before going off in the directions he'd instructed. Though Milia had to stop Celica from turning too early. "Hm, except for that girl's sense of direction, this bunch of first years looks promising."

Sure enough, the Pro was right and the three devils found themselves in front of the door to class 1-B. Milia felt some sweat roll down his forehead as he made an audible gulp. Ibara noticed and asked. "Are you alright?"

Milia flinched a bit before laughing sheepishly, readjusting her glasses. "I'm just nervous. We're about to meet humans with amazing Quirks who are trying to become heroes like us. And all of them have bee training for longer and harder than me…" she admitted.

Celica then put a hand on Milia's shoulder. "It's okay to be nervous. If you want, we can walk in together."

"…Yes, please."

Ibara gigged as Celica opened 1-B's door. The classroom was basic looking, having 20 desks in total, and was partly empty. The only other people in the room were sitting near the door. One Ibara recognized right away. "Kendo-san!" She called.

"Hey, Shiozaki," Itsuka greeted. "Glad to see you made it."

"Likewise," Ibara nodded.

"Who's your friend?" Celica asked. Ibara explained to her and Milia about how she and Itsuka meet during the entrance exam and how they helped each other.

After Ibara finished introducing Itsuka to Milia and Celica, the red-head did the same for the other girls in the room, "These are my friends, Kodai You and Tokage Setsuna."

Yui had shoulder-length, bob-shaped hair, side-swept to her right with some shorter strands hanging above her eyes. She has fair skin, an athletic build, cerulean eyes, and she's usually seen wearing a neutral expression on her face.

Setsuna, meanwhile, had wavy, dark moss green hair that reached down to her shoulders and dark green eyes. "What's up?" Setsuna greeted with a big grin, showing off her long and pointed teeth. Yui nodded for her greeting.

"It's very nice to meet both of you. I hope we can work well together in class." Ibara greeted them with a bow. She then took her seat, Milia sitting next to her while Celica took the seat behind Milia. It wasn't long before the next student showed up. This one was a boy that had a headband on his head that was white with blue patterns holding up long spiky hair. He also had gray eyes.

"Hi, nice to meet you." Itsuka greeted, in the same manner she did to Ibara and the others. The boy didn't say anything but gave the girls a small smile and wave.

"Mind telling us your name?" Setsuna said as she rested her head on her hand.

"Awase Yosetsu," he answered before sitting in the last desk of the second row.

"Huh, strong silent type, huh?" Setsuna whispered to Itsuka with a smirk, making the orange hair girl roll her eyes and smile.

Just then another boy came into the classroom. This boy had light brown hair and oval-shaped eyes that were colored black. After being greeted by Itsuka and Setsuna, he gave them a toothy smile and a wave. "Sup, the name's Tsuburaba Kosei. Great to meet ya!"

"Great to meet ya as well, dude," Setsuna said casually making Tsuburaba look at her with a smirk.

"Just know that I plan on coming out on top in this class," He said with a competitive smirk. "So you better give it all ya got because I plan on giving even more."

Setsuna couldn't help but return the smirk as she looked him in the eyes. "Just try not to get left behind." She said with a wink.

Tsuburaba couldn't help but chuckle in return as he went to sit down. "Ohohoho, it's on now!" He said playfully before sitting in a seat adjacent to Ibara's. It wasn't long before he noticed the vine-haired girl. _'Holy crap, she's cute!' _Swiping his hair back, he called out to her, "Hey, uh, what's your name?"

Ibara looked chiefly at him. "Shiozaki Ibara?"

"Name's Tsuburaba Kosei. So… do you wanna grab something to eat after class is over?" Tsuburaba offered.

"That's very kind, but I'm afraid I have to decline," Ibara told him. "…For my heart belongs to someone else."

Tsuburaba felt like his heart had been stabbed. "Oh… okay…"

Setsuna immediately perked up, happening to overhear. "Ohhhh~! Do tell!" Setsuna leaned near Ibara, who began to blush.

"Oh, she and Milia are crushing on Midoriya Izuku," Celica said happily.

_'WHY?!'_ The two girls screamed internally.

Tsuburaba began to blush when he heard that. _'Threesome…'_

As Setsuna began to grill both Ibara and Milia, the next student came into the room. It was a girl with gray hair with bangs covering her left eye leaving her right eye showing that it was blue. She walked with an odd posture with her elbows to the side and her hands dangling.

The girl's expression remained the same as Itsuka greeted her. "Yanagi Reiko," she said in an emotionless tone before going to sit down in the seat in front of Awase.

Just then the next person who came in was rather bizarre looking. It was a male that was tall and slender. His skin was a yellow-green color and he had bright green hair in a Mohawk. He has bright green eyes that are pointed downward. He had no visible nose and also had two hook-like blades on each of his cheeks.

"Hi, my name is-" However before Itsuka could finish her greeting, the boy walked past her while intentionally bumping against Itsuka's shoulder and pushing the girl back. "Hey!"

The boy didn't respond and simply sat in the middle chair of the chair behind Tsuburaba and rested his feet on top of the desk. "I don't give a damn." He told them with a snarky grin.

Tsuburaba turn around and looked at the boy. "Geez, at least give us a name dude."

"Fuck off."

Ibara and Milia took an immediate dislike to him. His attitude reminded them of Bakugo's.

"Geez, what's with the attitude?" Setsuna muttered under her breath.

"Sorry about him, he's always been like this." Another male's voice suddenly came in. The voice made the green-haired boy growl as the girls turned around to see a boy with pale skin and ash-blond hair that was a paler shade then Bakugo's. His face resembled a skill with his teeth showing and no visible lips and angular eyes. "Honenuki Juzo," he greeted. "Personality-san's name would be Kamakiri Togaru."

"Fuck off, Skullface," Kamakiri growled.

As time went on, the other students of 1-B came in and introduced themselves. There were some rather strange looking students like Fukidashi Manga and Kuroiro Shihai. The rather shy ones like Komori Kinoko. The nice ones such as Rin Hiryu and Shishida Jurota. And the plain ones like Kaibara Sen.

As the desks in the classroom started filling up, another student came running in, stopping to catch her breath. She was a girl with a round face, and big blue eyes and was rather on the shortish side. She had thick wavy blond hair with two big horns on top of her head. She also has a short horse-like tail and her calves also resembled that of a horse's and brown hooves for feet.

"_I'm so sorry if I'm late. My alarm clock busted and I had to hurry here and I may have also gotten a little lost I just hope no one's angry with me!_" She said… in English.

…The entire class was silent as they stared at her. The only ones who weren't were Honenuki, Ibara, Celica and Milia. The later three understood her, thanks to the devil's gift of tongues, having heard her in Japanese. Honenuki, however, simply smiled and looked at the girl. "_Hey, why don't you take a deep breath and calm down a bit, you're kinda speaking in English_," he told her.

The girl blushed in embarrassment before she smiled sheepishly. "Sorry… I tend to talk English when panicking."

Shrugging it off, Itsuka walked in front of her with a smile. "Hey, don't worry about it. Everything will be fine. I'm Kendo Itsuka."

"Hi, my name Tsunotori Pony." Pony said slowly. "I'm still getting handled on the… language, so please talk slow."

"Sure thing," Itsuka said.

"Sounds fine to me, you just need to relax girl," Setsuna casually told her, making Pony blush more as she averted her gaze.

"Hehe, maybe you're right." She said quietly making Itsuka and Setsuna giggle in response.

Pony began to converse with Honenuki in English, when…

"HELLO EVERYBODY!" A loud voice came in, startling everyone.

They all looked to the door to see another one of 1-B's students. He was another male with messy gray hair and black eyes surrounded by thick and jagged tan colored substance. He appears to be lacking eyebrows and he had a mouth full of shark teeth.

Before anyone could say anything, the boy put his fist to his heart and spoke. "My name is Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu! And my goal here is for everyone in this classroom to be the manliest of manly heroes! We'll work hard, and train harder and be the greatest and manliest heroes in the world! AW YEAH!"

Everyone just stared blankly at him as he marched like a soldier to one of the remaining desks and sat down and sat upright and stared at the front of the room, seemingly waiting for class to start. _'What cruel parents…'_

It was then that the footsteps of someone entering the room got everyone's attention again as they turned to the door. There they saw another male who had blond hair and blue eyes. He had a confident smirk on his face as he took a look at his classmates. "You know," he began. "You're lucky to have me here."

"And why would that be?" Kuroiro asked in an unimpressed tone.

"Because I have enough brains and strength to carry everyone here." He said which made several students roll their eyes. "You'll see, I'll make sure to lead this class till its name is known throughout Japan as the greatest hero class in the country."

"Hell yeah!" Tetsu said as he stood up. "1-B will be the greatest heroes the world has ever seen!" He said determinedly as he put a first to his heart again.

"Remember the name Monoma Neito," he introduced himself as he looked over the entire class. "Because that will be the name of the next Number One Pro Hero."

After that, he sat in the first desk of the second row, making Itsuka shudder a little bit. _'Aaaand, I'm going to be sitting next to him. Great…' _Itsuka thought to herself as Setsuna patted her back. "Well, it looks we have everyone now." She said.

"EVERYONE! IN YOUR SEATS!"

Everyone flinched at the powerful voice and wasted no time in sitting down in the seats that they chose and looked to the front of the classroom. Just then they saw one last person enter, the teacher and Pro Hero.

He appeared to be a tall and very muscular man. He had gray lightly spiky hair and had a yellow visor over his eyes. He also had visible canine teeth despite his mouth being closed. His costume is a skin-tight red bodysuit with a long U shaped collar going down to the middle of his chest with black trim. He also had matching black trim around his shoulders. His boots went above his knees and were white and he also had a three-piece metallic belt that goes down a bit at the center. Finally, he had thick white vambraces over his lower arms along with a thin wire snaking from one of the protrusions on the left vambrace to the back of his neck.

The pro hero walked behind the desk of the classroom and gave a quick stare down to the students before speaking. "I'll keep this brief, my name is Kan Sekijiro, your homeroom teacher, but you all can call me Vlad." Everyone nodded, or in Tetsu's case salute, as Vlad spoke again. "Now, my goal here is to turn every one of you into someone worthy of being part of the next generation of heroes. What does being a hero mean? Well, it can be different depending on who you ask, but it comes down to one thing, risking yourself to save others and put a stop to those who do wrong."

"When I look at this room, I see large amounts of potential just waiting to be brought out. And that's what we're going to do at UA. We're not just some run of the mill hero course, we make some of the best damn heroes this world as seen and I expect no less from all of you. It won't be easy, but with plenty of hard work, blood, sweat, and tears, I'm confident every one of you will turn into an amazing hero that many will look up to. Now… GIVE ME A PLUS ULTRA!"

"**PLUS ULTRA!**" All the students couldn't help but smile and laugh heartedly after that. Or in Tetsu's case cry tears over 'How manly that was.' But still, after hearing that, they were more determined to learn to become create heroes.

"Good. Now then," Vlad began. "Everyone line up and head to the auditorium where orientation will take place."

"Hai!" Everyone said at once as they began to head out as Vlad instructed. Needless to say, this year was gonna be something memorable.

* * *

Inside the assembly hall, the 20 students from Class 1-B were in the stands along with the other first-year students, chatting amongst themselves. Ibara looked forward toward the empty seats, where Class 1-A was supposed to be.

_'Where are they? They should've been here by now, right?'_ Ibara asked herself, looking around for Class 1-A. "Do you see 1-A, Takamaki-san?" She asked the succubus sitting next to her.

Milia shook her head. "No," she said. The two she-devils felt a tap on their shoulder, causing them to jump. The culprits were Setsuna and Itsuka.

"Is something wrong? You look like you're looking for someone." Setsuna said.

"Sorry. We're looking for Class 1-A. The other class that's part of the Heroes' Course like us. Izuku-san and our other friends are in that class and they're not here." Ibara answered, looking around for the other class.

"Maybe they're running late," Itsuka suggested. "You know how first days go."

"Back up! 'Izuku-san'?" Setsuna asked with a raised eyebrow. "You're that close with the guy, huh?" She said with a sly smile, causing Ibara to blush.

While his students were talking, Vlad King noticed that Class 1-A hasn't arrived yet. He was curious like Ibara on why they weren't here. _'The other heroics class isn't here. What's taking so long?' _He thought until he noticed that one of the teachers was missing. That's when everything clinked in his head. _'Oh no! If Class 1-A is late, then that means their teacher is…'_

* * *

It seemed that Aizawa was the only teacher who was thinking along his line because the twenty students of his homeroom class were the only ones outside. Every other class was inside attending orientation. Twenty teenagers stood together in a loose group in their matching gym clothes.

Aizawa had followed them onto the grass, looking down at his phone as he walked. He seemed to be scrolling down a page and then stopped. Once he was done with whatever he was doing on his phone, he glanced up at the class.

"Everyone here? Good. There's no reason to wait any longer. I have brought you out here for a Quirk assessment test." Aizawa said, pulling a ball out of one of his pockets. "The school system that you've been a part of so far is irrational. The government is still trying to deny the obvious and say that you all have the same amount of potential. They do not allow those students with power to excel, nor for any of you to use your full power in physical education." He glanced at his phone again. "Bakugo Katsuki?" He glanced up, and Bakugo stepped forward. "According to my records, out of this class, you have the longest distance thrown with a softball in middle school. 67 meters, is that correct?"

"I think so," Bakugo answered.

Aizawa tossed him the ball, which Bakugo caught easily. "Throw that ball, but use your Quirk this time." He gestured for Bakugo to stand in what seemed to be a shot put ring. "Anything goes, just stay inside the circle."

"Okay, you asked for it," Bakugo said with a smug grin. The explosion Quirk user then stepped inside the boundary circle and got in a throwing stance. _'I'll add some heat to my pitch and drop their jaws.'_

Bakugo then reared his arm as far back as possible.

"**DIE!**" He roared. Creating an explosion in his hands, the ash-blond threw the ball with great power and speed. Most of the students reacted in amazement at seeing the ball getting launched with such force due to the explosion. It was clear that the ball was going to go a long way past 67 meters. Though a few were slightly terrified by his word choice.

_'Die?'_ Izuku, Kyoka, and Ochako mentally repeated.

As the whole class watched the ball hit the ground, Aizawa turned towards them again. "Only by allowing each of you to use your Quirk to its full potential will we know what your potential as future heroes." He held up his phone for the class to see, which was showing Bakugo's score in distance thrown. A long way past 67 meters, indeed. The readout showed 705.2 meters!

"Over 700 meters!" Hyde gasped.

"That's crazy!" A boy with red, spiky hair exclaimed. Bakugo was grinning with pride at the shocked looks on everyone's faces.

"We can use our Quirks for this? Then this will be easy!" A girl with pink skin whispered to her neighbor with a grin.

"_Easy, is it?_" Everyone went silent at Aizawa's rather ominous tone as he said that. "Three years. That's how long you have to train to become real heroes. And you all think it's gonna be a bunch of fun and games? Well, then, today you'll compete in 8 physical tests to judge just how much potential each of you has. The one who comes in last has none… _And will be immediately expelled!_"

Almost everyone reacted in horror to this. The first day of school and they are already met with a surprise Quirk test and are running the risk of getting kicked out! They watched as Aizawa smirked at his students and made a 'come on' gesture with his fingers. "Show me it's no mistake that you're here."

**A/N:**

**And now Izuku and the others have to deal with Aizawa's Quirk Assessment Test. Things are never easy, huh? By the way, I want your opinion on something. Obviously, the drama from Aizawa's assessment about whether or not Izuku is going to pass will be nonexistent here, which means that the student who gets the lowest score will be Mineta.**

**So, should I keep the little perv, or have him get expelled? Don't get me wrong, I dislike the perv about as much as I dislike Matsuda and Motohama. On one hand, Aizawa states in the manga and anime that if he can see people don't have potential he'll expel them, and Mineta, despite his faults, is rather intelligent and creative. On the other hand, he's, well, Mineta. If he stays, then expect to see him suffer a LOT. If he goes, then we get to see him suffer less but still see him suffer.**

**I'll be using a poll on my FanFiction account page and let you all decide this. It'll be open for about a week, so be sure to vote as soon as you can.**


	20. Hero School

**A/N:**

**I'd like to give big thanks and kudos to Milarqui for going out of his way to make a TV Tropes page for the story! GRACIAS! THANK YOU SO MUCH!**

* * *

"What?" Ochako spoke up, raising her hand. "You can't expel one of us on the first day! That's not fair!"

"Oh, and you think that natural disasters are fair? Or what about villain attacks?" Aizawa asked her. "The world is full of unfairness. It is our job as heroes to face that darkness and fight against that unfairness. If you cannot do that, then this class is not the right one for you, and you'll be better off in General Studies anyway."

Momo, who was standing next to Izuku and Kyoka, whispered to her friends. "It's a bluff. It has to be a bluff."

"I hope you're right," Kyoka whispered back.

"I…" Tenya looked a little nervous. "I don't approve of this sort of hazing, but if this is what it takes to get into the U.A. hero course, I'll do my best." He took a long drink from his sports bottle, which contained orange juice to fuel his Quirk.

"Time to blow these losers away." Bakugo hummed confidently as he warmed up.

_'__I can do this. I won't let Rias-san or everyone else that's helped me down!'_ Izuku thought as a determined expression came to his face. He looked around, noting the similar expressions everyone had. He then noticed someone familiar. It was one of Sona's servants, her Rook Yura Tsubasa if he remembered right. She was looking at him out of the corner of her eyes. She winked at him, causing a blush to appear on his face.

"For the next three years, U.A. will throw one terrible hardship after another at you. So go beyond. Plus Ultra-style." Aizawa challenged the students who most of them flinched at the way he looked at them. "Now then, we're just wasting time talking. Let the games begin."

* * *

_Trial 1: 50-meter dash_

Aizawa began to call students up two at a time to the starting line, going by ascending student number. This, in turn, helped introduce who they were as they got to the starting line. First up were Ashido Mina, the pink-skinned girl, and Aoyama Yuga, the blond-haired boy with perfectly combed hair and a rather giant belt.

"Let me show you all just how dazzling my Navel Laser is, and just how creative I can be," Aoyama boasted, a French accent in his words. He turned around, his back facing the track while Mina got into position. As soon as the robot said to start, Aoyama jumped into the air. "Like this!" He laughed as he fired a laser beam from his navel, propelling him forward far faster than Mina could run.

**Aoyama Yuga, Quirk: Navel Laser. He basically shoots a laser out of his belly button.**

However, one-second after using it, Aoyama stopped, letting his momentum carry before hitting the ground. He quickly got back up after Mina already passed him, who was using her Quirk. She had taken off her shoes so she can shoot acid from her feet, which she used to skate across the track. Yuga managed to get back up after falling and propelled himself to the finishing line once more, though not before Mina finished first, getting a record of 5.25 seconds while Yuga got 5.51 seconds.

"If I use my Naval Laser for more than one-second, I get a stomach ache," Aoyama said, flashing stars around him. Everyone else just stared at him in confusion.

"Nice job, Ashido," complimented the spiky red-hair student.

"Thanks. You better do a good job too!" Mina replied as she gave him a high five, "No more being your old-self in middle school, okay Kirishima?"

The second pair to go was Iida Tenya and Asui Tsuyu. Being a contest of speed, Iida sprinted across the finish line in 3.04 seconds while Tsuyu, despite speed not being her best, managed to get 5.58 seconds, hopping across the finish line.

"If only it was longer," Iida sighed, "I could only change up to third gear with this much room."

"Kero, I doubt anyone will be beating your time."

**Iida Tenya, Quirk: Engine. He has engines in his calves that allows him to switch between different gears, increasing his speed.**

Up next was Ochako, being paired with Tsubasa. Ochako immediately began using her Quirk to lighten up her clothes and shoes. Tsubasa ran right away, crossing the finish line in 5.49 seconds. Ochako finished in 7.15 seconds.

The fourth, fifth, and sixth pairs all also went up, composed of Kaminari Denki, Kirishima Eijiro, Shoji Mezo, Jiro Kyoka, Sero Hanta, and Tokoyami Fumikage, all getting varying times from 5.20-7.18 seconds.

It wasn't until the seventh pair that the students would be in awe after Iida's speed. Todoroki Shoto, the half-white half-red haired boy, and Liana Kozuki, the red-head girl with violet eyes, were up, and at the sound of the horn, Todoroki blasted himself forward with an ice pillar he created. As he began descending, he created an ice slide, allowing him to slide across the finish line in 3.15 seconds.

Liana wasn't about to be outdone. At the sound of the horn, a pillar of bone shot out of the palm of her hand, propelling her to the finish just short of Todoroki, 3.16 seconds.

"What the hell!?" Hyde shouted, saying what was everyone's mind. "That's crazy!"

Up next were Hyde and Hagakure, an invisible girl. Hyde dashed as fast as he could, but only got 5.41 seconds. Hagakure, despite not having a Quirk to help her go faster in any way, managed to show just how fit she was by crossing the finish line in 6.24 seconds. The only real way they could tell she crossed the line was because she was wearing clothes.

Finally, it was Izuku and Bakugo's turn. The two of them gave each other a small glare before getting into position.

"Explosive Turbo!" Bakugo shouted, using his explosions to accelerate himself forward, earning him a time of 3.95 seconds. He smirked, confident he beat Deku… until he saw that Deku was a foot in front of him.

"2.95 seconds," the robot recorder announced, but that wasn't the reason why Bakugo's jaw dropped. The reason was because Izuku had two, leathery wings with green scales that also were on his arms and the sides of his face, and two black, curved horns on his head.

Aizawa noticed two things. During the entrance exam, Izuku's scales were red. Now they were green, and he had horns. The other thing he noticed was that Bakugo's rage began to reach a boiling point.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS, DEKU?!" The blond screamed, startling nearly everyone, Izuku included as he stomped toward the demidrake. "SINCE WHEN DO YOU HAVE A-" The spiky blond's rant was cut off as bandage-like cloth abruptly wrapped around him. No matter how much he struggled, the cloth held and he couldn't break free. In fact, the more he struggled the more tangled he became.

His Quirk also wasn't working. He was pointing an open palm at Izuku but nothing was happening!

"And what exactly were you trying to do?" Aizawa's voice was low and deliberate, but loud enough for everyone to hear. His hair was standing up and his eyes were glowing red. "Attacking or harming a fellow student or member of the staff outside of training exercises is grounds for immediate expulsion. So I suggest you back down."

Bakugo stared at him wide-eyed before glaring and gritting his teeth. He reluctantly stopped squirming without a word. The cloth retracted back to Aizawa who sighed and fished out some eye drops from his pocket.

"What a pain…" Aizawa's eyes were bloodshot and showing obvious irritation. "Don't tell me you kids are going to give me dry eye from stupid temper-tantrums like this every day."

_'__Dry eye…?'_ Wait, Bakugo's Quirk wasn't working right, and the comment about his eyes meant… "I-I know you! You're Eraserhead! You specialize in villain capture, and you can erase Quirks just by looking at them!"

**Aizawa Shota AKA Eraserhead, Quirk: Erasure. He can erase anyone's Quirk with a single glare. But the effects end whenever he blinks.**

"Eraserhead?" One student whispered, "Never heard of him."

"He's an underground hero," said Hyde. "He doesn't like the media from what I've heard."

After that, the tests continued. Mineta Minoru, though having a short stature and a perverted mind, used his Quirk by grabbing four balls on each hand and threw them in a line on his path. He quickly bounced on each one, jumping forward as fast he could while also throwing even more down the lane, getting a time of 7.21 seconds, the worst out of all of them. It was rather unlucky just because of his stature.

* * *

_Trial 2: Grip Test_

The class headed to the gym for the next test, a Grip Strength test where a student grasps a hand-held device that reads the force their grip exhibits in kilograms. Tsubasa was one of the first to go.

"Holy crap!" Izuku saw both Sero and Mineta with Tsubasa, gripping the device as the Tape Quirk user spoke. "You hit 1000.0 kilograms!? You're a beast!"

"An amazon!" Mineta started to drool.

Izuku smiled, looking at his grip test machine. It read at 541.3 kilograms.

_*Crunch!*_

"Oops!" Everyone turned to Ochako. In her hand was what _was _one of the grip testers. Now it was partly dust. "Guess I overdid it…"

_'__How strong is she?!'_ Most of the students, except for Izuku, Momo, and Kyoka, all thought.

Aizawa silently stared, just as shocked as everyone else.

* * *

_Trial 3: Standing Long Jump_

Izuku watched as the students tried to use their Quirks to aid them in this, going two at a time again. The only ones who had excelled beyond the other students, for now, had been Aoyama and Tsuyu. Izuku watched Iida almost clear the sandbox, using his engine to propel him farther forward. Ochako managed to clear it, as did Tsubasa. Liana used her Quirk to make a long pillar of bone to propel herself, getting the same distance as Tsuyu. Todoroki easily cleared it by blasting himself off an ice pillar again.

Aoyama flew pass the measuring robot, flying over the sandbox. Then Bakugo was up, and he used his explosive powers to get him over the sandbox. Izuku flew over the sandbox as well, landing a couple of feet ahead. And Momo also managed to clear the sandbox with relative ease.

Sadly, the worst score was Mineta, who could only bounce on his ball in the initial platform, and having no forward momentum as well as a small body, did not get far.

* * *

_Trail 4: Sustained Side Jumps_

Mineta made up for some of his failures by creating clumps of balls next to him and kept bouncing off them with ease, thanks to his short stature. Izuku managed to handle it with ease as well, using his wings to control where he landed. Iida showed his creativity by turning his leg engines on and off on each leg separate times.

* * *

_Trial 5: Ball Throw_

Since Bakugo had already done the ball throw, he was excused from doing it again. Ochako was the first to go. Using her Quirk, Ochako threw the softball up into the air with an underpowered toss. However, the ball kept going, floated up into the air. For about a few seconds, everyone watched as it disappeared from sight.

Aizawa then showed everyone the score.

"Infinity!?" The other students exclaimed in shock.

"How the hell does that work?!" Hyde exclaimed.

After getting a new ball, up next was the red-head girl. Her name was Liana Kozuki. She took a deep breath as she stepped into the circle. White growths then sprouted form her arm, enveloping it in bone as it grew far larger.

Using her bone vambrace, Liana reared her arm back before throwing the ball. A slight shockwave sounded from the force of the throw, causing the other students to blink and stare in shock at Liana.

Aizawa looked down at his phone when it gave him the results and blinked.

_'__Hmm, not bad. Guess I shouldn't expect anything less, given who her parents are.' _Aizawa thought, turning towards the crowd and showing the results.

"1649.7 meters?! Seriously?!"

Liana smiled, feeling a little proud of herself.

**Liana Kozuki, Quirk: Demonic Bone: She can grow, create, control, and alter the bones in her arms, using them to create weapons and shields.**

It was now Izuku's turn. He summoned his Boosted Gear, which turned some of his scales red. Aizawa watched closely as Izuku grabbed the ball and threw it. It took a second for the ball to fall back down. The students eagerly looked to Aizawa, with most failing to notice his hair fall down as he showed everyone the results on his phone.

"1038.3 meters?!"

Bakugo growled in anger, an aura of rage surrounding him causing a few students, Izuku included, to take a few steps back. Todoroki, meanwhile, narrowed his eyes at Izuku before suddenly noticing his left hand flickering in flames. He quickly crossed his arms, allowing steam to arise from them.

_'__Midoriya Izuku,' _he thought to himself. _'He's someone to look out for.'_

Liana Kozuki also narrowed her eyes at Izuku, but for a different reason. She was the only one who noticed that Aizawa tried to erase Izuku's Quirk, yet nothing happened.

* * *

_Trial 6: Endurance Run_

Though seemingly simple, as the students ran the course, they soon began to slow down. The first to drop out was Mineta, followed by Hagakure. The last few to drop out were Hyde, followed by Todoroki, Bakugou, Iida, Izuku, and Momo.

* * *

_Trial 7: Seated Toe-Touch_

Tsuyu blew the competition out of the water here, given how flexible her body is. Aoyama tried to be a flashy show-off, but he ended up embarrassing himself by accidentally dropping his belt and pants, to Mineta's horror.

"Almost got it," Momo huffed as she leaned forward, her assets pressing down on her legs.

Ochako pouted as she bent down. Her sweat had made her pants stick onto her skin, showing off her curve.

"The Hero Course is the best," commented Mineta as he stared at the two, only to get a slap from Aizawa to get him to pay attention.

* * *

_Trial 8: Sit-ups_

This one ended up being rather purely physical, as nobody had any Quirks that could help them get a better score, except for maybe Todoroki, who created a small film of ice to keep himself from sweating. Bakugo glared at Izuku as he matched him going up and down.

[You are aware that Bakugo has been glaring at you the whole time, right?]

_'__Unfortunately,'_ Izuku mentally replied.

* * *

With the tests completed, everyone decided they had earned a good rest by sitting on the ground, as Aizawa looked at his tablet.

"Your rank will be based on comparing your results to pre-established benchmarks. Since reciting your scores would be irrational, I will just show you the results." Touching the pad, Aizawa manipulated something, and a hologram began to show above the tablet, listing the rankings.

_1\. Yaoyorozu Momo_

_2\. Liana Kozuki_

_3\. Midoriya Izuku_

_4\. Todoroki Shoto_

_5\. Bakugo Katsuki_

_6\. Iida Tenya_

_7\. __Yura Tsubasa_

_8\. Tokoyami Fumikage_

_9\. Uraraka Ochako_

_10\. Shoji Mezo_

_11\. Kido Hyde_

_12\. Kirishima Eijiro_

_13\. Ashido Mina_

_14\. Jiro Kyoka_

_15\. Asui Tsuyu_

_16\. Aoyama Yuga_

_17\. Sero Hanta_

_18\. Kaminari Denki_

_19\. Hagakure Toru_

_20\. Mineta Minoru_

_'__I managed to get third overall,'_ Izuku sighed in relief.

[Would've been nice if you got first, but I guess this is good since Bakugo looks ready to explode at any moment.]

Indeed, Bakugo looked ready to literally kill someone, causing the few students near him to wisely back away. Izuku made a mental note to stay away from Bakugo for a while.

"WAAH!" Everyone turned back to Mineta, who was now openly sobbing. "I'M SO SCREWED! I DIDN'T EVEN GET TO SEE ANY OF THE GIRLS IN THEIR COSTUMES!"

"Stop whining." Everyone looked to Aizawa who was putting away his eyedrops. "You aren't getting kicked out."

Mineta sniffled. "R-Really?"

"Obviously," Momo sighed while pinching the bridge of her nose. "Honestly, I'm surprised none of you figured it out."

Liana crossed her arms. "Right. What kind of teacher would suspend or expel someone over something like this on the first day?"

"What!? No fair, you two!" Mina huffed. "You could've told us it was just a lie…"

"Actually, it wasn't a lie."

…

…

…

Everyone slowly turned toward Aizawa, who now sported a scary grin. "I would have expelled whoever came in last. Hell, I would've expelled all of you if you didn't impress me enough."

"**…****WHAAAAAT!?**" The class shouted together.

[HAHAHAHA! He may look like a hobo, but I'm gonna like your teacher!]

_'__Glade you do,'_ Izuku nervously replied.

Kyoka leaned up to Momo and whispered. "'Bluff' huh?"

"I've… been wrong before," Momo meekly replied.

"Anyone can get into U.A. with a powerful Quirk and enough study time, but a lot of those who do get in think they can coast by on their Quirk alone. I'm here to tell you that's not enough. Your Quirks are useless if you don't have the imagination to use them creatively… or the potential to grow."

He pointed at Mineta. "Your Quirk may be simple, but you've used it in a creative way during the side-stepping exercise. That tells me that, with enough training, you can make a decent Hero." He grinned at the crying Mineta. "That's why I'm not kicking you out. But make no mistake: one slip-up and I'm revoking this decision."

"Y-Yes, sir!" Mineta nodded.

"The same goes for the rest of you! If I feel you're slacking off and not being serious about your position here, I won't hesitate to kick you out." He stared all of them down, and they all trembled before him, "Any questions?"

"N-no, sensei!"

"Good. Your syllabus will be back in homeroom. Make sure you review it closely. And don't lose it either. I won't be making copies. You're dismissed." He whirled around and walked away without a look back.

Several people had lost feeling in their legs and slumped to the floor, hearts racing and adrenaline pumping. Eventually, it was a much-subdued group that finally made it back to 1-A.

* * *

Once everyone went back to the classroom to pick up the syllabus they left the school grounds, the first day of school came to an end. Izuku, Ochako, Kyoka, and Momo were walking together, leaving the main building. Kyoka was walking slowly, the most tired and exhausted from the Quirk Assessment Test they went through. "I'm so tired." She said, looking down, all dizzy and such.

"It certainly wasn't a good first day, I agree. I honestly didn't think we would go through such a test." Momo said.

"At least we all passed," said Ochako. She then gulped. "But man, our homeroom teacher is really strict, huh?"

"Man, I wish we went to Orientation instead." Kyoka groaned as they stopped and waited outside the building.

"I agree. Maybe Buchou and the others will tell us about it." Izuku said. But before he could say something else, a hand touch his right shoulder. He turn around to see none other than Iida, standing behind him with a serious look. "Eh! Oh, hello Iida-san."

"Sorry I scared you. I just wanted to congratulate you and Yaoyorozu-kun for placing third and first in the Quirk Assessment Test," the Engine Quirk user said.

"Oh, thanks. But it wasn't a big deal." Momo said.

"I see you all known one another. Have you all met before?" Iida asked them.

"Yep!" Ochako answered. "We met a few months ago. Let's just say things happened and we became fast friends." She summed up.

"That's one way to put it."

The group looked behind them to see Rias, with Yuuto behind her, coming up to them. "Oh, Buchou!" The devils all greeted.

"Buchou?" Iida asked.

"Glad to see you made it through your first day in one piece, guys," Yuuto greeted with his usual smile.

"You all got lucky," Rias stated. "I heard that Aizawa-sensei expelled an entire class last year."

"That's… comforting," Kyoka muttered.

"Who's this?" Yuuto asked, referring to Iida.

"Allow me to introduce myself! I am Iida Tenya. A pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is ours. I'm Kiba Yuuto, 1st-year general studies, Class 1-C."

"Rias Gremory, 2nd-year general studies. 2-D."

Iida immediately bowed upon Rias' introduction. "An honor to meet you, senpai!"

"There's no reason to be so formal," Rias replied. "You can simply call me Rias-san."

"If you wish, Rias-san-senpai-kun," Iida nodded his head. "I wasn't aware you were acquainted with an upperclassman."

"Yeah, a lot of stuff happened when we met and well…" Izuku chuckled, unsure how to continue.

"Oh, Iuz-kun, there's no need to be shy. Tell him how close we are," Rias said as she gave him a hug, burying his head into her bosom.

Ochako, Momo, and Kyoka stared slack jaw at what they saw, jealously swelling inside the Rook. Yuuto chuckled in amusement while Iida blushed. Worst of all, other students who were walking by started staring at her hugging Izuku, hints of rage and jealousy in their glares.

"B-buchou, can you please stop that! People are staring!" Ochako stuttered.

Rias chuckled as she released Izuku, who seemed on the verge of passing out now.

"Izuku-san, are you okay?" Momo asked.

"I's kay…" Izuku answered, his face a deep red with swirls in his eyes.

"Izuku-san! Everyone!" The turn back to the building to see Ibara running and waving at them. Behind her was Itsuka and Milia. "Sorry I'm late."

Izuku, having shaken off the stupor Rias put him through, was surprised at seeing Milia. "Takamaki-san?"

"Hello, Midoriya-san," Milia greeted.

"Wait, you're in the hero course too?" Ochako asked.

"Yes," Milia nodded.

"I was just as surprised as you," Ibara said.

"It's good to see you again, Kendo-san." Izuku greeted.

"Long time no see, Midoriya," she said.

"So, are you all heading to the train station?" Iida asked, most of them nodding as an answer. "Would you mind if I joined you there?"

"It wouldn't be any problem," Rias said. "We just need to pick up Koneko and head home. There aren't any club activities today, so we got some time to kill."

"Then how about we go out to eat?" Milia suggested. "Kudelia-san gave me a day off, and I know this new restaurant nearby."

And with that the group made the walk down to the restaurant Milia had suggested, picking up Koneko along the way, all of them talking about their eventful first day.

* * *

The next day was the first official day of school. So far… things were pretty normal as far as high schools go. "Now then, boys and girls…" Present Mic began as he pointed at the board. "Which one of these sentences is the correct one?"

A: _{A thought that had been in for many months in the archives of his mind came sharply into relief.}_

B: _{A thought that had been in the archives of his mind for many months came into relief sharply.}_

C: _{A thought that had been in the archives of his mind for many months came sharply into relief.}_

D: _{A thought came sharply that had been in the archives of his mind for many months into relief.}_

_'__So boring…' _Mina, Kaminari, and Kyoka thought with tired looks.

_'__This really sucks.' _Bakugo thought, not really caring about this period at all.

Several of the students raised their hands, with Present Mic picking Momo. "It is C. The reason why, of course, is that the adverb, sharply, is used to emphasize the suddenness of the speaker's realization."

"That is correct!"

* * *

Lunch itself looked surprisingly good even though it was dirt cheap, which Izuku attributed to it being made by the Pro Hero Lunch Rush before he took a seat at a table with Momo, Kyoka, Ochako, and Iida, where Ibara, Itsuka, Milia were already sitting. Soon Yuuto and Rias joined up with them.

"I take it your classes have gone smoothly so far?" Rias asked, being sure to sit next to Izuku.

"T-They've b-been great, so far," Izuku replied. "What about your classes?" He asked Ibara and Milia.

"So far so good," Milia answered. "I honestly wasn't expecting our classes to be so… normal."

"Yeah. It makes me wish I paid more attention in English class," said Ochako.

As the group talked about their day was like so far and what their afternoon classes would be like, a mischievous glint appeared in Rias' eyes. "Izu-kun, you should really try this salmon," Rias held out a piece of salmon in chopsticks, holding it out for Izuku.

"Uh, sure," Izuku nodded, blushing slightly as Rias feed Izuku the salmon. Smiling, Rias continued with her meal, looking rather smug.

A shocking revelation than came upon Izuku. Rias had both feed him, and had been using those chopsticks! She gave him an indirect kiss! Izuku's eyes wondered to Ibara and Ochako. The two had stopped eating and were glaring at him and Rias. Oddly, Milia was doing the same. Itsuka, for her part, was surprised by the sudden display of affection. But inside her, she felt her stomach curl, as if she was jealous of seeing Rias give Izuku an indirect kiss, something she didn't understand why.

* * *

Afternoon arrived, and the students of 1-A were all eager to have their very first Heroics class. A burst of very familiar laughter reverberated throughout the halls, causing the students to pause, unable to believe their ears. "**Hahahahaha!**"

"No way," Izuku gasped. "Is that!?"

"**I AM HERE!**" All Might announced. Izuku and the other students gasped in shock and excitement. "**Coming through the door like a normal person!**" All Might came into the room in a very 'not-normal' fashion, but none of the students seemed to care as they all stared with wide eyes at the number one hero as he marched into the room looking at everyone with his signature smile as everyone started to gush about him.

"No freaking way!"

"It's All Might!"

"I can't believe it! All Might is actually gonna teach us!"

"This is gonna be awesome!"

"Kero, is that his silver age costume?"

As All Might marched heroically to the desk, everyone got a good look at his costume. It was primarily red at the torso with white stripes around the chest and sides, blue pants with white stripes. He also had golden yellow boots, belt, and bracers along with a flowing blue cape.

Once All Might made it behind the desk, he put his hands to his hip and looked the students. Everyone watched and listened in anticipation as the Number One Hero spoke. "**Welcome, young heroes, to the most important class at U.A. High.**" All Might said with his ever-present large grin. "**Think of this class as Heroing 101!**" Everyone smiled, having waited all school day this. "**Here you will learn the basics of becoming a hero and what it means to fight in the name of good! For our first day, our lesson will pull no punches! That's right! Battle training!**"

Bakugo suddenly grinned in excitement, eager to fight.

"**And to go with that,**" declared All Might before pointing to the side of a wall in an epic manner, "**Are these!**" The walls suddenly began shifting before shelves came out with suitcases in them, each one labeled with a student number. "**Your costumes that have been created in accordance with the Quirk registry and the special forms you all filled out before school started, along with any details you wanted!**"

The students all cheered in excitement, eager to wear their gear. They didn't expect them to be finished so fast, but it was to be expected of U.A. heroics.

"**Now go get changed and meet me at Ground Beta when you're done,**" All Might said before he dashed out.

* * *

All Might stood waiting for the class near the entrance of training ground Beta. It took only a few moments before the students began to walk into the training ground in their new hero costumes. The costumes were as diverse as the quirks that they represented. Some of the costumes were flashy and ostentatious, while others were simple and functional.

Izuku's fell into the later. It seemed like something that you could buy for a couple of tens of thousands of yen at any sports goods store in Japan. An emerald green sleeveless bodysuit with dark red accents, with padding over his thighs, shins, and torso along with his shoulders and forearms. The padding was given a dark red color to contrast with the emerald color. He also wore his own red shoes. There were two velcro lined holes in the suits back, allowing his dragon wings to spread without raising suspicion (since both those and his devil wings don't tear threw clothing when in use). He had originally wanted to include a face-guard and hood with two protrusions, but Rias and the others cut those out, saying that it looked like an All Might ripoff.

"Your costume looks great, Izu-kun!"

Izuku wanted to reply to Ochako, but the words nearly died in his throat, a faint blush on his face. "I-Is t-that your costume, Ochako-san?"

Ochako's costume seemed to play up to her Quirk, making her look like an astronaut with a pink and black skintight suit that covered her entire body, a transparent helmet for her head and thick, round bracers with handles attached to them. The fact that it was skintight, and thus was emphasizing her curves, made it hard for him not to stare.

"Hehe, I should've been more descriptive with what I wanted," Ochako said with a small blush. "My suit ended up being skintight."

That was a half-lie.

Ochako had not wanted a skintight suit. She did, however, had specified that her chest and waist be a bit more emphasized to have Izuku notice her more. Of course, the result came out to be a skintight uniform, but she wasn't complaining given how Izuku was glancing at her body.

"I think your costume is great, Ochako-san." Izuku and Ochako turn to Momo's voice, who was walking up to them with Kyoka. The boy's face turned 100% red in response to what he saw.

Kyoka's Hero costume was nothing spectacular. It was a long salmon-colored shirt with several rips at the collar and hem, black pants, and boots with stereos built into their shafts. She also had two small, triangular red paint marks just below her eyes, a plain black choker, and white fingerless gloves, giving her a 'rocker' look.

Momo's costume, however, was a different story. She wore a high-collared, sleeveless crimson leotard with silver lines at her waist and around her arms, which were open to expose her skin from her neck to just below her navel. She sported calf-length crimson boots with heels, which dipped sharply down in the center, and two gold utility belts around her waist. Another, thinner one ran around the top portion of her chest and below her shoulders.

"M-M-Momo-san!? T-T-That's your hero costume!?" He asked, trying to stop the nose bleed he was having.

"Yeah…" Momo said, slightly embarrassed as she and Kyoka approached the two. "There is a reason why. Due to my Quirk, I need to have exposed skin to create an object out of my body?"

"O-Oh, yeah I-I forgot. I-I m-mean… you both do look more c-cute in those c-costumes." Izuku said with a red face.

Those words made Momo and Kyoka blush a little. Kyoka wasn't used to boys calling her cute, so she didn't know how to properly respond. Momo, however, leaned over to Izuku, her mouth near his right ear. "If you want, perhaps Kyoka and I can show you more of our skin later." She whispered in a seductive tone, causing the boy to jump.

"Ga! Seriously!?" Izuku yelled.

Momo couldn't help but giggle at Izuku's reaction, while Ochako stared at the Queen. Kyoka looked indignantly at Momo. "M-Momo! W-what the hell?!"

"Sorry, Kyoka," Momo said. "Buchou loves to tease Izuku-san so much, I thought I give it a shot."

"That, we can agree with," the four turned to another voice. The owner was Sona's Rook, Tsubasa.

Tsubasa's costume was rather simple. It consisted of a white karate gi with the sleeves torn off, blue fingerless gloves, a long orange headband, a black martial arts belt, and dark boots.

"Yura-san," Izuku said.

"Hey. I wanted to talk with you guys yesterday, but I didn't get the chance due to Aizawa-sensei's test and there was a meeting for the student council after classes ended."

"It's fine," said Ochako. "And I like your costume. Not too flashy, you know."

"Yeah," Kyoka agreed. "Has a real _Street Fighter _vibe to it."

"Thanks," Tsubasa smiled. "Ryu was a basis for the design, I admit. And I like your costume, Midoriya. I kinda want to see what it's like when dirty now."

"Dirty?" The four teens blinked.

"Uh, yes," Tsubasa chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. "Don't know why, but I've always liked boys who get dirty after a fight," she looked to Izuku seductively. "Kinda like Midoriya after the fight with Riser."

"…Eh?" Izuku honestly had no idea how to respond to that.

Ochako silently glared at Tsubasa. _'Another love rival!'_

Nearby, Mineta was chewing on his little yellow cape. "The lucky bastard! Damn shy, nice guy act is getting him all the babes!"

Further away, Ashido Mina watched the whole thing unfold. Her costume consisted of a plain white mask over her eyes, and a purple and turquoise skintight bodysuit with a camouflage pattern, ending just above her breasts. Over this, she wears a cropped, sleeveless tan-colored waistcoat with white fur along its collar, which she leaves unbuttoned. She wears custom made acid-proof boots with holes in the soles, allowing her to secrete acid from her feet to use to slide around.

_'__Is that the same Midoriya from yesterday?'_ She thought, looking at the boy. _'I wasn't expecting him to be so skittish with girls. Not with the way Yaomomo, Jirou, and Uraraka hang out with him.'_ A mischievous smile formed on her face. _'Guess I have to get in on all the fun. Midori is just so cute and adorable.'_

"**Alright ya newbies, it is time to get started.**" All Might interrupted the socializing.

Iida raised his hand, "Sensei, this is the same site we used for our entrance exams. Will we be doing cityscape maneuvers again?"

"**Not quite,**" All Might said. "**What you'll be doing is indoor, anti-personnel combat training. Most of the villain fights that you see on the news take place on the streets, but statistically speaking, a vast majority of villain fights happen indoors: Backroom deals, the black market, hostage situations, just to name a few,**" he continued. "**In this Hero Society of ours, the most dangerous villains are the ones who use their brains and try to outwit us. They almost always operate indoors, away from prying eyes like ours.**" He clenched his fist in front of his chest, "**With that in mind, you all will be split evenly into groups of two! Each team will have either a Hero or Villain designation, and you will be fighting against another team!**"

"Isn't that a little advance?" Asui asked.

"**The best training is the training that you get in the field!**" All Might answered. "**But, remember, you are not just punching robots this time, you are fighting against actual people.**"

"What determines victory?" Asked Momo.

"Can I still blast them until they die?" Bakugo growled.

"Will the punishment be expulsion, just like Aizawa-sensei?" Ochako asked nervously.

"How will we be splitting up?" Asked Iida, the only one to have raised his hand to ask.

"Isn't my cape fabulous?" Aoyama, not even bothering to ask about the trial, was flashing his cape.

"**One question at a time, please!**" All Might yelled, a little overwhelmed. Seeing the students quickly settle down, he continued. "**Anyway, by order of the questions I heard: I'll explain, no, no, we'll get there in a minute, and yes, but be careful about that cape. If it gets caught on something, you'll be in trouble.** **Now then, allow me to explain today's task!**" With that, he took out a small booklet and began to read off it.

"**The situation is that the villains have hidden a nuclear weapon somewhere in their hideout! The heroes have to go in and dispose of it! The heroes will have a limited amount of time to either capture the villains or secure the weapon in order to win. As for securing, you merely need to be able to touch it for longer than three-seconds. The villains, in order to win, must either secure the weapon until time runs out or capture the heroes!**"

_'__Is he seriously reading a script?'_ A majority of the students all thought.

All Might then took out a box with a hole on top presenting it to the students, "**Your teammates will be decided through lots!**"

"Is that really the best way?" Iida questioned.

It was Izuku who answered though, "Actually, it makes a lot of sense. In the field, we will sometimes have to pair up with other Heroes who we potentially know nothing about. Anything can happen during emergencies and pairing up with Heroes from different Agencies happens all the time."

"I see! Excellent analysis, Midoriya-kun! Forgive my impertinence!" Iida bowed to All Might, who shrugged him off.

"**No worries, Young Iida. Let's get to it!**" He turned and pumped a fist into the air. One by one, the students walked up to the box and pulled a lot out. In a matter of moments, the teams had formed.

Team A: Ashido Mina & Sero Hanta

Team B: Yaoyorozu Momo & Hagakure Toru

Team C: Kido Hyde & Midoriya Izuku

Team D: Tokoyami Fumikage & Aoyama Yuga

Team E: Asui Tsuyu & Shoji Mezo

Team F: Liana Kozuki & Uraraka Ochako

Team G: Jiro Kyoka & Todoroki Shoto

Team H: Kirishima Eijiro & Kaminari Denki

Team I: Yura Tsubasa & Bakugo Katsuki

Team J: Mineta Minoru & Iida Tenya

"Eight babes in this class, and I didn't get paired with any of them!" Mineta hissed.

Hyde, wearing a dark gray leather jacket with belts, black baggy pants, and a plain silver shirt, approached his partner, extending his right hand to him. "Looks like we're a team. Let's both do our best together, alright Midoriya?"

"Yeah!" Izuku replied, shaking Hyde's hand with a determined expression.

Ochako, while disappointed that she won't be on the same team as Izuku, walked over to Liana. Her costume consisted of a red vest over a black shirt and black shorts, a mask decorated with crimson lotus petals, revealing only her mouth, nose, and eyes. She also had a dark red cloak with black highlights. "Uh, hey," she greeted. "Guess we're teammates."

Liana smiled and nodded. "You're Quirk lets you alter gravity, right?"

"Well, kinda," Ochako admitted. "Why? You have something in mind?"

"**All right, now that we have the teams set up, let's see who's going against whom first!**" All Might took out two more lottery boxes, the right one labeled Villain while the left one was labeled Hero. "**First up, we have… Team C as Villains against… Team I as the Heroes!**"

Izuku felt something drop in his stomach as he turned to the members of Team I. Tsubasa was trying to say something to Bakugo, but the explosive teen wasn't listening. Instead, he was flashing a huge grin at Izuku. Bakugo silently placed his right fist into his left hand and a small explosion erupted between them, startling his teammate. He then held out his smoking palm to Izuku before clenching it as though he were crushing an insect.

"Well, this is going to be fun," Hyde muttered before turning to Izuku. "You going to be okay?"

"Y-Yeah…"

"**Now, while both teams remain here, I want everyone else to head for the control room. That way you will be able to observe everything and comment on it!**"

"Hai!" the students replied, leaving for the control room, while All Might called both teams to follow him to the building where the exercise would take place.

"**Young Midoriya and Young Kido, you will enter first to prepare the bomb. You will have aid from the U.A. robots to move and place it quickly if you need it. There will be a ten-minute grace period for both teams to plan and prepare as needed. The fifteen-minute timer will begin to count down immediately once the Heroes are allowed to enter, so take care not to procrastinate!**" All Might grinned, fists on his hips, "**And most importantly, remember this is to give you all practical experience, so you must not hold back! The Villains should try to embrace a villainous mindset and pretend to be the real deal! You can't have any doubts and must give it your all! That said, remember that this is just training so take care not to go TOO far. I will only step in if I feel I need to. If I declare the exercise over at any point for any reason, it is OVER. Is that clear? And be mindful that the provided Capture Tape can only be used once! Use it wisely, because you only get one per team.**"

The four students nodded, and All Might pulled four pieces of paper and four small earplugs from a small pocket that didn't even seem to exist, handing one of each to them. "**Here is the layout of the building. Be sure to memorize it. And these communicators can be used to keep in touch with each other. Team C, you may go into the building now. I will inform both teams when the test begins. Now, go!**" All Might finished, waiting until Izuku and Hyde went into the building before leaving.

* * *

"So this is it, huh?" Hyde tapped his hand against the 'nuclear weapon'. "Papier-mâché. That makes sense. So, where should we move this?"

Izuku looked over the paper All Might had given them. "It looks like either the top or middle floors are our best options. There are plenty of places to hide the weapon there."

"Then let's move this thing," Hyde watched as the U.A. robots picked up the bomb.

* * *

Outside, Tsubasa and Bakugo were waiting for the test to begin. Tsubasa looked worryingly at Bakugo, who seemed ready to demolish the building at any second. Rage had completely taken over him, to the point his body started to shake. _'Was he seriously just fucking with me all these years?'_ Bakugo thought. In all the years he'd known Deku, the nerd never had Quirk. Now he can turn into some lizard freak?!

"Uh, so, what's the plan?" Tsubasa asked.

"I'm gonna go after Deku!" Bakugo hissed. "You can take Clownfish."

"But aren't we supposed to-"

"I DON'T FUCKING CARE!" He snarled. "I'm going to show that damn nerd that he ain't better than me!"

* * *

"There. Everything's set," Hyde wiped away the little sweat he built up. After the robots moved the 'weapon', Izuku and Hyde decided to set up some dummies on both the middle and second floors, using the empty crates and tarps to do so.

"Kido-san, what's your Quirk?" Izuku asked.

"It's called Void Red," Hyde's left hand was encased in a dark red energy. "I can basically control and manipulate dark energy. Also… Come forth, Insulator!" Hyde made a grasping motion in front of his left palm. Dark energy swirl from his palm as he did so. The fingers of his right hand closed as the hilt of a blade emerged from his palm. He withdrew the sword from his palm in a spray of red and black sparks. It was a katana with a red blade patterned with bright-red lines of energy that flow through it; it also has no hand-guard while also having a fairly long pale-yellow hilt with black wrappings.

"Whoa, that's awesome!" Izuku pulled out a notebook and pen from somewhere and began to write. "How did you do that? Did you concentrate the energy into that blade? No, wait… It looked more like you drew the sword directly from your body. Is it stored in a pocket dimension in him until he needs it? Then what is it made of? And how-"

Hyde sweat-dropped at Izuku's mumbling. "Dude, stop! You're driving me nuts!"

Izuku flinched before chuckling sheepishly.

"And…" Hyde looked at the Insulator. "Where _does_ it come from? My hand? Wait, does it come from my hand? Then… where does it go?" As Hyde mumbled, he looked down his sleeve before realizing what he was doing. "Agh! Damnit! You're starting to infect my brain!"

"Sorry."

Hyde sighed. "Well, I told you about my power. What's yours? Some kind of dragon Quirk, right?"

Izuku nodded. "Kinda," he held his arm out as it transformed, growing his scales and wings, summoning his Boosted Gear while doing so. "I can grow green or red scales and wings, which gives me better defense, strength and of course flight. I can also double my power every few seconds, but only for a short time."

"Dude, that's awesome!" Hyde giddily said. "And, if I'm being honest, kinda fitting for this situation. A 'dragon' guarding its 'treasure'?"

Izuku blinked before chuckling, realizing that Hyde was right. Dragons are known to guard their hoards fiercely.

"Anyway, what's the plan?" Hyde asked.

Izuku looked outside in thought. "I've known Ka- …Bakugo for all my life. He will try to come after me while Yura-san goes after the bomb," he said.

"I buy that. The guy seems to have it out for you. Think we can use that to our advantage?"

Izuku nodded. "I can keep him busy. That just leaves Yura-san."

"I can deal with her," said Hyde. "You need to focus on settling things with Bakugo."

_["_**_Ok teams, time's up!_**_"]_ Both Izuku and Hyde heard All Might's voice via the communicators. _["**Let the indoor combat training begin!**"]_

**A/N:**

**With a surprisingly close result, out of 33 voters, 13 voted for Mineta to be expelled, while 20 voted to keep Mineta. Honestly, with how many followers this story has on both AO3 and FanFiction, I was expecting more people would've voted. …Oh well. I defiantly will have fun writing slapstick focusing on Mineta whenever I get the chance.**

**Anyway, as I'm sure you've noticed, some of the canon students are gone, replaced by either an OC or some other character: Shoda Nirengeki and Bondo Kojiro from 1-B and Koda Koji, Sato Rikido, and Ojiro Mashirao from 1-A. Replacing Ojiro was literally a last-minute decision (I had to do a coin flip in the end).**

**Also, here's an updated list of Izuku's harem: Rias Gremory (main girl), Shiozaki Ibara, Uraraka Ochako, Yaoyorozu Momo, Tokage Setsuna, Jiro Kyoka, Xenovia Quarta, Shidou Irina, Ravel Phenex, Asui Tsuyu, Melissa Shield, Hatsume Mei, Toujou Koneko, Milia Takamaki (OC), Rossweisse, Liana Kozuki (OC), Kendo Itsuka, Hadou Nejire, Ashido Mina, Le Fay Pendragon, and Yura Tsubasa. 21 out of 24 now! He's gonna need a LOT of stamina ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°).**

**Why add Sona's Rook, you ask? Well, in Volume 11 of the DxD Light Novels, she has told Issei that she is attracted to him since he always ends up dirty after a fight. …Yeah, I don't exactly get it, but since, well, getting a little dirty after a fight describes Izuku pretty well, I figured why not? She'll be taking Ojiro's place in 1-A.**

**I've also decided to share a list of POSSIBLE harem members. These girls I haven't yet decided, so they MAY or MAY NOT be in: Sona Sitri, Serafall Leviathan, Yasaka, Gabriel, Kuroka, Mandalay, Mt. Lady, Mirko, and Utsushimi Camie.**

**Anyway, next time we'll see the climactic battle between Izuku vs Bakugo! We'll also get to see how everyone else will do during the battle trials! And we'll see what 1-B is up to! See you next time. PLUS ULTRA!**


	21. Start Line

At class 1-B, the students were waiting eagerly for when their heroics class to begin. "When's next class start?" Pony enthusiastically asked.

"Should be any minute now," Itsuka calmly said. "I wonder what we're gonna do."

"Hopefully we'll get to learn some manly hero skills," Tetsutetsu said in anticipation. He was obviously getting pumped.

Just then the door opened. The eyes of Ibara and Milia widened when they saw Mizu walk in.

"Hello everyone," the sorceress called. "I'm Mizushima Akari, but you can either call me Mizu or Ryūtō."

"Oh hey! I know you!" Itsuka said. "Kaika Hero: Ryūtō! I saw you on the Top 10 Most Beautiful Heroines list once!"

"Ah, yes. It was an honor to be chosen," Mizu smiled. "But enough about that. It's time to get class started. You won't be needing your hero costumes for this, but don't worry, you'll get the chance to wear them tomorrow."

Groans of disappointment were heard throughout the classroom. "Excuse me ma'am, but what will we be doing?" Shishida, the student with a rather beastly appearance, asked.

"Simple: you'll be doing sparring sessions against each other." Everyone perked up at Mizu's announcement.

"ALRIGHT!" Tetsutetsu cheered.

Kamakiri smirked. "We'll be fighting each other, huh? Don't mind if I do," he chuckled darkly.

Komori swallowed a lump in her throat as she lightly trembled. "Oh boy…" She spoke in a timid voice. "I hope I'm ready for this."

The rest of the class voice their own reactions when Mizu spoke up again. "Alright, settle down everyone! I know you're excited but save your energy. Now then, put on your PE uniforms and head to the gym."

The students all eagerly stood up and headed for the locker room. As they walked they passed by Class 1-A, which was currently empty. "What do you think 1-A is doing?" Celica asked.

"They're currently doing battle trials at Ground Beta," Mizu answered. "You'll get your turn tomorrow."

"And what makes 1-A so special?" Monoma asked. "Why do they get to take that class today but we're stuck with sparing? Seems rather unfair if you ask me, not something befitting of a school like U.A."

After a few minutes, (and a karate chop from Itsuka to end Monoma's rant), the 1-B students donned their gym uniforms and gathered at the same place Aizawa did his Quirk Assessment Test.

"Everyone here? Good," said Mizu. "Allow me to explain the rules," she gestured to a large ring behind her. "Two people at a time will enter the ring, and in order to win you have to either restrain your opponent, force them to submit, or throw them out of bounds. It doesn't matter how as long as you don't use your Quirk. This will be important as this will teach you just how far you are in terms of actual combat. This should also teach you any shortcomings you have in your technique. It will also be a good way to teach you how to fight against an opponent with a Quirk that counters yours or if you're in a situation where you can't use your Quirk. Now then," she pulled out a box from somewhere. "Everyone come on up and draw a number."

As the 1-B students did so, Ibara can't help but wonder how Izuku and the others were doing.

* * *

_Battle 1: Team I, Yura Tsubasa & Bakugo Katsuki (Heroes) vs Team C, Kido Hyde & Midorya Izuku (Villains)_

"He's on a warpath," Yura Tsubasa sighed. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't at all concerned with her teammate's behavior. Bakugo had been pacing back and forth before the entrance to their test building ever since Izuku and Hyde went in, palms already popping with small explosions and a snarl twisting his face. The tall, bifauxnen teen didn't know how to calm the blond down, or even if he wanted to calm down.

She had tried asking what the plan was, only for Bakugo to rebut her. She stopped trying to be civil with him after that, finding that there was no point to communicate if her teammate wasn't going to listen.

_["_**_Ok teams, time's up! Let the indoor combat training begin!_**_"]_

Without missing a beat, Bakugo immediately flew into the building, nearly leaving his teammate behind, but Tsubasa did her best to keep up. The building was essentially a small storage facility with an attached set of offices. Bakugo scowled angrily. "Shit, that bastard has plenty of places to hide!"

Tsubasa shook her head again. Bakugo was looking for Izuku, not the weapon.

It wasn't long until Bakugo had searched the last room on the first floor, his annoyance and anger having reached a fever pitch. There had not been a single clue of his opponents' whereabouts anywhere. Making his way up the stairs in hopes of better luck on the next floor, Bakugo decided he'd had enough.

"DEKU! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?!" The blond's scream reverberated through the empty building so strongly that Tsubasa, who was trailing behind the explosive teen, cringed away not only from the lack of subtlety but also the sudden ringing in her ears.

He got his answer when he reached the second floor. Bakugo barely had the time to register when something glowing bright green slammed into his gut. He gaged as he was slammed against the wall with enough force to break it. Disorientated, but not taken out, Bakugo looked forward to where the ball of energy came from… and saw red.

Izuku, Boosted Gear giving off a faint glow, and wings spread, was standing there, looking rather smug. "I'm right here, Kacchan," he said.

And then the green-haired teen turned around darted. Unprepared for such an action, it took a second for the blond to process what had just happened. And when he did…

"Fucking Deku… COME BACK HERE SO I CAN KILL YOU!" Bakugo screamed bloody murder as he ran through the second floor, chasing his former friend as if nothing else mattered.

"Bakugo, wait!" Tsubasa called, but it was too late. Bakugo had already turned the corner after Izuku. Groaning in frustration, Tsubasa continued up the stairs. Since Bakugo's only concern was beating Izuku, she decided to just go after the weapon itself.

* * *

[Planing to run the clock down, are you?] Ddraig asked.

_'__Yeah,'_ Izuku replied. He could hear Bakugo's yells and the sounds of explosions in the distance. From the sound of it, since Bakugo lost sight of Izuku he was being forced to search each of the side rooms for any sign of his quarry.

If he could keep Bakugo occupied down here, and if Hyde can keep Tsubasa held up, then all they had to do was stall until time was up. Bakugo was too far away and was making far too much noise for him to hear his quarry, so Izuku pressed his finger to his earpiece to get in contact with Hyde. "Kido-san, are you there? Can you hear me?" He whispered.

A second later, Hyde gave his reply. _["Yeah, I can hear you. What's going on?"]_

"Kacch- …Bakugo is way too focused on me. He's gone completely rouge and left Yura-san to go after the weapon alone. I'll keep him busy down here. You keep Yura-san away from the weapon."

_["Got it. Don't get your ass kicked."]_

"You too," Izuku smiled.

"STOP HIDING! COME OUT AND FACE ME, YOU FUCKING COWARD!" Izuku flinch when he heard Bakugo's voice.

He then narrowed his eyes. "I'm not a coward, Bakugo. Get ready, I'm coming for you." He said, clenching his fist in anger.

* * *

Tsubasa ran through the third floor, looking in every she found. There were at least a dozen rooms here, and she searched through half of them with no luck. "I'm starting to think Kido isn't on this floor," she said to herself.

Then, right when she was about to enter another room…

"Black Orbiter!"

Tsubasa barely had time to dodge when a black spinning orb blew past her.

"Nice dodge, hero," Tsubasa looked inside and saw Hyde, something large covered by a tarp behind him. "But it's too late to stop us. You're welcome to try, though."

Tsubasa smirked. If Hyde was acting out the roll, then she should too. "We'll see, villain!" She placed her right hand on the metal door. Her skin then took on a steely matte hue. Before long her entire body seemed to be made of metal.

"Okay, that's a neat trick- WHA!"

Tsubasa kicked off the ground, launching herself into the air "HIYAH!" She slammed a metal fist down toward Hyde's head. Hyde narrowly avoided the attack, Tsubasa's metal fist punching through the concert floor.

Shaking off the shock, Hyde quickly swung the Insulator down, a trial of dark and red energy following. Tsubasa met his attack with her own, although the resulting clash caused both fighters to be knocked back. Struggling to stay on his feet, Hyde noticed that Tsubasa had taken the blast with surprising grace, seemingly unfazed. "Guess you aren't gonna go down easily," he commented, recognizing her clear experience in battle.

Though his Insulator _did_ do some damage. While Tsubasa's body was still made of metal, the blow was strong enough to cut her metallic skin. The cuts weren't deep enough to be draw blood, but they still stung. "I've noticed," Tsubasa jumped back and looked around the room. To her right, she saw an electrical outlet. _'That'll work.'_ Using her still metallic left hand, Tsubasa punched into the wall the outlet was at. Sparks started to crackle around her hand as the lights on the post began to flicker and dim until she finally Tsubasa released the circuit.

Hyde was slack-jawed when he saw electricity streamed between her fingers. "Oh shit…"

**Yura Tsubasa, Quirk: Absorption. She can absorb any non-living matter with her right hand (changing her body to emulate), and she can absorb and channel energy with her left hand.**

* * *

In the hallways of the second floor, Bakugo continued his search for Izuku, going from door to door in every room, getting angrier by the minute. His mind flashbacked to the day after they got their acceptance letters. How Izuku's red-haired girlfriend slapped him, as well as how those other extras defended the nerd. It just made him even angrier.

_'__He was always just a little bug.'_ He thought angrily. _'There's no way he has a Quirk! It must be some kind of trick! That's the only explanation!'_

The sound of footsteps caught his attention. Izuku had exited from the room he was resting in, a look of determination on his face. A look that just pissed Bakugo off.

"Fucking Deku… Don't fucking look down on me!" He screamed, charging forward to attack Izuku with his right hand. However, before Bakugo could react, Izuku changed the direction of his footwork without pause and stepped into Bakugo's space. In the same motion, he turned around following the same direction of Bakugo's spin, used his right hand to grab Bakugo's extended right arm by the forearm and continued with the motion to slam Bakugo's back solidly and with authority against the wall.

_'__Did he fucking read me?!' _That was the only thing that went through Bakugo's mind at that moment. The impact against the ground had enough force to blur his vision, make him spit saliva and leave him breathless for a moment. Gritting his teeth, the Explosion Quirk user rapidly stood up, glaring at Izuku…

"Bakugo," Izuku began. "You usually start with an explosive charge while preparing a big right swing. How much do you think I have been watching you? Remember the notebook you once attempted to burn? That's my Hero Journal. I have a full analysis on pretty much everyone with Quirks I've met. Including you."

"WHAT?" Bakugo shouted in bewilderment, as he remembered the last time he had tried to destroy that notebook Izuku always carried around.

"I don't know what happened between us, but I'm no longer the Deku you like to pick on for the last decade. So, bring it on, Bakugo," Izuku calmly declared.

**[****Boost****!]**

Another snarl, this time of both pain and fury, was a prelude to Bakugo's next attempt to attack Izuku, this time by lashing out with his left hand and releasing an explosion at him. Izuku had just jumped to a side, away from the range of the explosion, which also lifted Bakugo off the ground.

* * *

In the control room, the class observed the battle with bated breath. "Izu-kun and Kido-kun separated when the battle started," Ochako said, pointing at Izuku leaving the weapon while Hyde stayed behind. "Why are they doing it like this?"

"Midori probably has a plan for this, I think," Mina answered. Ochako immediately turned to look at her, shocked that she was calling him by a nickname already.

"He does. He had more than enough time to come up with a plan, and if there's someone he knows well, it is Bakugo. He knew Bakugo would come for him, leaving Yura-san behind to look for the nuclear weapon, so he went on ahead to keep Bakugo busy," Momo explained with a smile.

As they watch Izuku wait on the second floor for the hero team, Hyde left the room the weapon was kept in. "Huh? Why's he leaving the weapon behind?" Kaminari asked.

"He must be planning to confront Yura," Liana answered. "They did set up several dummies throughout the third and fifth floors, so they must be planning to stall Yura and Bakugo until time runs out." As if to confirmed it, Hyde went into one such room with a dummy and waited.

Eventually, the confrontation between Izuku and Bakugo began. They watched as Bakugo flew into a rage upon seeing Izuku, leaving his partner behind. A couple cheered for Izuku as he fought Bakugo, while others were caught off guard by the Quirks displayed by Hyde and Tsubasa. "Man, their Quirks are OP!" Kaminari exclaimed, referring to Hyde and Tsubasa as they fought.

Mineta silently hopped for Hyde to rip Tsubasa's clothes off.

Still, most of them were curious about why Bakugo was all angry at Izuku so much. "That guy has some real anger issues. Kinda scary," Hagakure commented.

"Must be because Midoriya's kicking his ass," Kirishima guessed. "That Quirk of his is so manly!"

"I doubt it's just that," said Liana. "Bakugo scored 5th in the entrance exam with only 77 Villain Points but no Recuse Points. It's almost like he cares only for himself."

"Then seeing Midoriya kicking his ass is worth something," said Sero.

"Of course Bakugo cares only for himself," Kyoka said with a serious look on her face, Momo and Ochako nodding in agreement.

"What are you saying?" Iida asked. He and the rest of the class had turned to them curiously.

"Izu-kun told us about his history with Bakugo. Let's just say that it wasn't pleasant." Ochako said, looking back at the screen.

* * *

Izuku stared at Bakugo for a moment, smiling. He made him waste too much time here and now they were likely almost out of time. Suddenly, there was a flash from Bakugo's right gauntlet. Bakugo, upon hearing that sound, smiled and lifted up his right arm.

"I'm all loaded up," he said.

"W-What does that mean?" Izuku asked, confused about what he meant.

"I don't know how you got that bullshit Quirk," Bakugo grinned, he pupils shrinking even smaller than they ever have. "But do you know how my Quirk, Explosion, works?" He asked, pointing his arm at Izuku.

"You secrete nitroglycerin-like sweat from your hands and make it blow up," Izuku answered.

"Yeah. Image what I could do if I had a lot of it." Bakugo grabbed the lever and pulled it back about two inches, and a grenade pin flipped out from underneath.

Izuku's eyes widened. "No way…" he whispered, taking a step back. "Are you saying that those…"

"So, you figured out that these gauntlets aren't just for show, huh?" Bakugo said. "They've been storing up my sweat inside for one monster blast." Bakugo has his thumb on the pin, ready to pull it.

* * *

All Might's face didn't show it, but he was terrified. Bakugo was taking this too far! He grabbed the microphone and exclaimed into it, "**Young Bakugo! Don't do it! You'll kill him!**"

"No way! He's not gonna…" Kaminari yelled.

"Bakugo's going too far! He's gonna kill Midoriya!" Kirishima yelled.

"Run, Midoriya!" Sero yelled.

"IZUKU!" Ochako, Kyoka, and Momo yelled in horror.

* * *

"He'll be fine as long as he dodges!" Bakugo's grin widened from ear to ear. He wasn't playing around.

[He's lost his mind!]

Bakugo pulled the pin.

**KA-BOOM!**

The MASSIVE trail of explosions that headed for Izuku rocked the building and even the monitoring room, as a massive hole was created from the wall.

* * *

The students gasped as everything around them shuck and rumbled. "Whoa, whoa! This's nuts!" Kirishima exclaimed.

Ochako could only look at the monitors in horror. All video feeds on Izuku and Bakugo's position were either destroyed and only showed static or were blinded by the smoke. But with the live feed from outside the building, showing a massive hole with smoke coming out of it, she and everyone else feared the worst for Izuku.

"**Come in! Come in, Young Midoriya!**" All Might yelled into the microphone, also very worried for his student.

* * *

Hyde's Insulator pushed Tsubasa back, while the sparks from Tsubasa's punches doing the same. Hyde huffed as he stood his ground. "Give up, hero?"

"Not yet, villain!" Tsubasa shot back when her skin returns to normal. "Damnit! My time's up."

"Can't stay like that for long, huh?" Hyde entered a stance. "Good to kn-"

**KA-BOOM!**

"W-what the hell?!" Hyde exclaimed as the whole building shook, causing the two to fall over.

When the shaking finally stopped, the two hesitantly got back up. "What was that?" She asked.

"That had to have been your partner! Is he trying to bring the building down on top of us?!" Hyde exclaimed.

Tsubasa looked over to Hyde as he got up. "I wish it wasn't, but it must've been him. He has serious issues…" Tsubasa trailed off when she noticed that something was off. "What the…"

"What?" Hyde looked behind them, and then his eyes widened. "Oh, shit."

The 'weapon' had toppled over due to the blast. But instead of a fake missile like Tsubasa was expecting, what she saw were several crates underneath the tarp.

"A decoy?" Tsubasa realized. "You've just been staling me, haven't you?"

"Jig is up," Hyde admitted. "The weapon isn't on this floor at all. You can try to find it if you want, but you won't get to it in time," Hyde readied the Insulator. "Doesn't mean I'm going to let you go, though."

Tsubasa proceeded to bolt right out of the room.

"Hey! Get the hell back here!"

* * *

"These things are awesome," Bakugo grinned, before walking towards the cloud of smoke. "The more nitro sweat that's stored in these gauntlets, the stronger the explosion is."

He entered into the smoke, going through it. His left gauntlet flashed red, meaning it was ready to go for another attack. "Where are you, Deku? Don't tell me you've given up?!" He asked, looking around for any signs of the boy. But there wasn't any sign of Izuku anywhere in the room. "What?! He's gone?" He looked around, trying to see where he went. "WHERE ARE YOU, DEKU?! SHOW YOURSELF!"

Suddenly, he looked up and saw Izuku delivering a punch on Bakugo with enough force that cleared the smoke instantly. Bakugo was sent flying back into a wall, slamming into it with enough force to knock the air out of him. Bakugo got to his feet and glared hatefully at Izuku. Izuku had survived the blast, but he still took damage. There were burns around at the areas of his body that weren't protected by the scales, while his costume was torn and burned. His wings had small tears and burned holes in them as well.

[You're lucky that your wings took the brunt of the blast, brat. His explosions are far different than Riser's fire]

_'__Yeah, they are…'_

_["_**_Young Bakugo! If you use that kind of an attack again and I will forcibly end this match and disqualify your team!_**_"]_ All Might ordered over the intercom. _["_**_If you damage the support structure it will cause the entire building to collapse, gravely injuring all of you._**_"]_

Bakugo didn't respond. Instead, he just continued to glare hatefully at Izuku.

* * *

Back in the Monitor Room, Class 1-A were all shocked to see Izuku not too injured despite tanking the blast. "No freaking way! He survived that?"

"He must've protected himself with his wings, kero." Tsuyu said, pointing her finger on the screen.

"Look at Midoriya's face. He's really angry now." Kaminari commented.

"Come on, Midoriya! You can do it!" Kirishima yelled.

Ochako, Momo, and Kyoka collectively breathed a sigh of relief that he was okay.

"Beat him down, Midori!" Mina yelled on the screen.

* * *

Back on the second floor, Izuku glared at Bakugo, who glared back. "I already said that I'm no longer the Deku you use to beat me up. Like it or not, but I'm not letting you win!" He said, getting in his defensive stance.

Bakugo was angrier than he ever was, his blood boiling that he could have a heart attack at any moment. "That's it… I had enough of this… IT'S TIME TO END THIS ONCE AND FOR ALL! I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" He yelled in rage.

"THEN BRING IT ON!" Izuku yelled back.

* * *

Tsubasa ran to the top floor, knocking down the door with ease. "Slow down, damnit!" She heard Hyde call from behind down the stairs.

_'__He definitely doesn't want me on this floor. The weapon's got to be here.' _Until she could absorb the right material again she can't risk fighting Hyde. She soon spotted a door that had several crates in front of it._ 'That must be it!'_

"Pale Bringer!"

Turning around, Tsubasa didn't have Time to register Hyde rushing towards her. Before Hyde could reach Tsubasa, Tsubasa used her Quirk to absorb the concrete before jumping to the side, distancing herself away from Hyde.

Hyde swept Tsubasa off her feet with a roundhouse kick. As Tsubasa tried to get up, Hyde swiftly jumped towards her and kneed her in the face, following up with several upward slashes with his sword, sending both into the air. Hyde knocked Tsubasa back to the ground with one final swing.

Before Tsubasa could get up, Hyde quickly wrapped her wrists with the capture tape.

_["_**_Young Yura has been captured!_**_"] _All Might declared.

At the announcement, Hyde collapsed to the ground. "Finally~!"

Tsubasa, though disappointed that she was out of the match, smiled a little. It was fun while it lasted. _'I'm not looking forward to Sona lecturing me later.'_ She looked up to her opponent, who was breathing heavily. Apparently, he wasn't used to this sort of activity yet. "That was pretty impressive. How did you do it?"

"…Would you believe me if I said this thing's got a mind of its own?" replied Hyde.

* * *

Using his Quirk, Bakugo blasted towards Izuku, leading with his left hand to surprise the nerd. But Izuku was prepared for just such a strategy from his aggressor and leaped to the right the moment before the explosion had started.

Bakugo watched in disbelief as his prey charged at him while the smoke and ash from his attack still billowed through the air. He didn't have enough to redirect his arm, let alone recharge it with enough sweat to be worth a damn.

"MOTHERFUCKER!" Bakugo raged, switching arms to discharge a small explosion toward the approaching Pawn's abdomen with his already off-hand.

Unlike before, Izuku didn't avoid this blast. This time, the green-haired teen pushed through the searing pain and threw a right hook with as much power as he could muster into Bakugo's stomach. The strike sent the blond flying into a pillar, stunning him. Disoriented, Bakugo puked, the strike having far more power than he expected. What's worse was that the only evidence of his attack was Izuku's torn and burned costume.

"You're going to need to try a lot harder if you want to take me down, you know?" Izuku said as he walked toward his downed opponent, an opponent that was struggling to stand.

"Go…to hell!" Bakugo slurred, clenching his stomach. Taking a gamble, the blond rolled and leaped toward the nerd that thought he was something special, aiming to surprise the little shit with his own well-practiced right swing.

Izuku tried to punch Bakugo, but with a bang and an explosion, Bakugo was suddenly gone from his line of sight. All he could see was the explosion he left behind, briefly blinding him by forcing Izuku to close his eyes in reflex. By the time Izuku realized that Bakugo had launched himself into the air and above him with one of his explosions, it was too late. Bakugo was above him and planted his feet on Izuku's wings and shoulders, using another explosion to force his opponent to the ground.

"Do you see, Deku? You're nothing. You don't even belong here!" Bakugo growled at him, forcing the other boy's face harder into the ground. "Just say you give up and leave this school forever. Then you can carry on your pathetic life in peace."

"Don't… call… me… that!" Izuku growled into the ground through his gritted teeth.

**[****Boost****!]**

Izuku shifted slightly to his left side as much as Bakugo would allow, freeing his right-wing, before driving it into Bakugo's face. Bakugo suddenly began to see double, the bitch slap knocking him down to the ground. Izuku pushed himself up off the ground as quickly as possible, as Bakugo did the same.

Bakugo cradle the side of the face where Izuku's wing slapped him before spitting something into his hand. It was a tooth. Growling, he looked at Izuku, who quietly glared back.

"Damnit! Don't think for a second this is over, Deku!" Bakugo hissed. "I'm not do-"

**BUUUUUUUUURRRRR!**

_["_**_Time is up! I repeat time is up! The villain team… WINS!_**_"] _All Might's booming voice filling the test building was the last thing Bakugo wanted to hear. His eyes went wide as he slumped to the floor.

He'd lost.

* * *

_'__What the hell…'_

Bakugo grit his teeth as he walked beside Amazon to the monitoring rooms. She was occasionally rubbing her arms but otherwise looked good as new. Bakugo didn't know why nor cared, he was still replying everything that happed in his head.

_'__What the hell…'_

In front of them was Deku, chatting with Clownfish. Bakugo didn't really give a shit about what they were saying. They were probably just giving themselves pats on the back for winning.

Winning.

Despite all the effort he put into this, all the bruises he took, it was still not enough.

Somehow, Deku still won!

_'__What the hell…'_

The nerd had only given him the occasional glance but otherwise ignored Bakugo as they made their trip to meet their teacher and classmates. Bakugo had many things he wanted to say. How this didn't mean anything. How Deku had just gotten lucky, and next time he would show the clear difference between them.

But what if…

* * *

Once the four returned to the minoring room, All Might quickly had them line up out front for the evaluation. "**Alright, that was a bit rough for the first match. I nearly had to put a stop to it but thankfully nothing too serious occurred. Though in hindsight the minute Young Bakugo was willing to use such an attack inside I should have stopped the match. Keep that in mind for the future**." All Might warned.

Bakugo didn't respond.

"**Young Bakugo…**" All Might pressed.

"Yes sir," Bakugo whispered.

"**Good, now we can move on.**" All Might continued. "**Now then… I believe it's safe to say that the MVP for this match is…**" With a flourish of his cape, All Might dramatically pointed to Hyde. "**Young Kido!**"

"Huh?!" The duel toned teen exclaimed.

"Not Yura-chan or Midoriya-chan? Kero, I thought they did pretty well." Tsuyu pointed out.

"**True, as it was a rather difficult decision as all three did extraordinarily well, but can anyone explain why I declared Young Kido MVP?**"

"I can sir." Liana raised her hand. "While all three did very well in this exercise, Kido, even though he abandoned the weapon, he did so in a rather clever rouse to distract the heroes. While in a real-life situation, more heroes, as well as police, would've been preset, the fact that there were dummy weapons scattered throughout the building made abandoning the weapon work."

Hyde blushed a little.

"Yura, while she was the only one who stayed focused on the objective at hand, still abandoned her partner to go after the weapon. As for Bakugo, he clearly let his personal feelings get involved, leading him to focus sorely on Midoriya to the exclusion of all else. As for Midoriya, while he was able to adapt to the situation when needed and use his history with Bakugo to his advantage, he could've avoided his fight with Bakugo had he exited the building without Bakugo noticing and gone to either the weapon or to Kido. Had he done that, Bakugo would've wasted time searching for him on the second floor and damage to the hideout would've been drastically reduced."

Izuku and Tsubasa flinched a little, conceding to her point.

_'__Holy…,'_ thought All Might as the rest of the class was silent, _'She said a lot more than I expected her to. Guess I shouldn't be surprised, given her father.'_

"**Well said,**" All Might stuttered for a bit.

Everyone seemed to be in awe of Liana's assessment. They let every word soak in so they wouldn't make the same mistakes.

"**All right, let's move on! Can't have you newbies use the same building twice after all, and not just because of the obvious!** **The teams for the next match will be…**" All Might then turned around and dipped his hands into the Hero and Villain boxes. He turned around, showing them to the entire class. "**Team G as the Heroes and Team H as the Villains!**"

"Guess I'm up next," Kyoka muttered. She looked over to her partner, who had ice covering half of his body for some reason. Suddenly, Kyoka felt a pair of soft lips peck her cheek.

"Good luck." Kyoka smiled at Momo and nodded. She turned and walked over to the bi-colored teen.

As the two teams left, Hyde took the moment to ask his partner, "Are you sure you don't need to see Recovery Girl? Bakugo gave you quite the beating."

Izuku was currently applying anti-burn cream that Momo had made. "I'll be fine. I can always visit her when class is over."

"Dude, what you did there was manly!" Mina grinned as she walked up to him. "The way you handled Bakugo was nuts! Way to go, horn buddy!"

"Horn buddy?" Izuku blinked.

Mina smiled. "Yep! You grow horns when using your Quirk. So now we're horn buddies with me and Kirishima!" Mina stated, pointing at her own horns with one hand. "I hope we get along!" Mina bounded up to him and slung an arm around his shoulder, making him flush and tremble at how close she was.

"Ah!" Izuku managed to squeak out, "A-A-Ashido-san!" His face was on fire, _'So close! And she smells so nice!'_ He was trying very hard not to completely freak out, especially since he could feel her chest squished into his arm and the back of his shoulder. _'So soft… Wait, WHY AM I THINKING LIKE THAT!?'_

Everyone's reactions were quite amusing, as well. He could hear Ddraig laugh through their link, Ochako developed a tick mark, Iida's jaw hit the floor, Hyde took a step back, and Momo bilked in surprise.

Mina was lost in her own thoughts. _'Wow… his shoulders are firm…'_ Her eyes drifted downwards, _'And he has a cute butt.'_ She felt her cheeks warm up a little, tinting with the faintest dusting of lilac.

* * *

Rias suddenly flinched. _'Why am I suddenly so mad?'_

* * *

Ibara stopped her sparring match with Komori. An uncomfortable chill had run up her spine. _'That feeling again!'_

* * *

_Battle 2: Team G, Jiro Kyoka & Todoroki Shoto (Heroes) vs Team H, Kirishima Eijiro & Kaminari Denki (Villains)_

Kyoka listened intently, determining where the vibrations were coming from. "From what I can tell, it sounds like they're both on the fourth floor. One's near the stairs. He's probably planning to ambush us." She said to her teammate.

Todoroki's costume consisted of a white shirt, pants, and boots, along with a gold-colored combat vest, while the left side of everything above his waist was covered in ice, probably to better regulate his temperature should he use fire. "I see," Todoroki said. "Can you tell what they're doing?"

Kyoka sighed. "No. I can get a general idea of what's happening. The number of people in the room and where they are, but that's about it. I wouldn't know what they're carrying on them or the general layout of a room."

Todoroki nodded before he began to walk ahead. "For your own safety, please step outside."

"Huh? Why?" She asked, retracting her earphone jack. She did as she was told, though.

"So I won't freeze you by accident," Todoroki touched the wall, "I'm sure they intend on fighting defensively… but that's useless against me." A sparkle of frost flowed from his fingers, and then the entire building started getting encased in a thick layer of ice.

"W-what the hell!?" Kyoka exclaimed as the entire building was soon covered in ice.

Todoroki's expression didn't change, "This match is already over. Just stay here." He deadpanned as he started walking up to where they had determined the bomb was.

After walking up the stairs, Todoroki pushed the door to the fourth-floor open, smiling lightly when he saw one of his opponents, Kaminari if he recalled correctly, frozen up to the knees in a defensive position. "You can try to fight, I suppose, but you won't get very far with your feet frozen to the floor. Be grateful you're not barefoot."

"Y-Y-Yo-You b-b-be-beet-er n-not u-u-underestimate me!" A shivering Kaminari started to give off sparks. "Indiscriminate Discharge 1.3 Million Volts!"

In response, Todoroki created a wall of ice to block the attack. Once the electricity died down, Todoroki used his left side to melt the wall. He blinked in confusion upon seeing Kaminari giving thumbs-up.

"Yaaaaaay~!"

Not sure he wanted to know why Todoroki continued down the hall. He soon found his remaining opponent, the chattering of his teething giving him away. Kirishima was standing in front of the bomb, ice coating his shoes keeping him in place, hands tucked under his armpits. It certainly didn't help that he was shirtless.

"N-Not a m-manly a-a-ap-approach, Todoroki." Kirishima shivered.

"Sorry, but I don't have time to mess around with you," Todoroki informed him as he walked toward the weapon.

Kirishima smiled. "Oh really?"

Todoroki's eyes bulged when he saw Kirishima, hardening his body, easily broke out of the ice. Todoroki tried to move out of the way, but Kirishima managed to land a punch to the gut. "Gah!" he groaned as he felt the contents of his stomach escape to his mouth.

"Sorry hero, but it's lights out for you!"

Something jammed into Kirishima's ear, stunning him for a bit before he passed out.

Todoroki turned to the side, seeing Kyoka standing at the entrance. "You're welcome." She said, wrapping capture tape around Kirishima's wrists.

_["_**_Both villains have been captured! The hero team… WINS!_**_"]_

Todoroki rubbed the spot where Kirishima punched him. He then placed his left hand on the floor. Suddenly the room began to heat up and the ice began to melt. Kyoka looked to Todoroki in surprise. _He has heat, too?_

**Todoroki Shoto, Recommendations Student, Quirk: Half-Cold Half-Hot. He freezes with his right and burns with his left! Range and limits are unknown.**

"…Thank you, for your assistance," he said once the ice melted.

"Don't mention it," Kyoka began to snicker. "I would've been here sooner, but Kaminari…"

"…Kaminari gave you a hard time?"

"No…" Kyoka snorted. "He's just… so damn stupid… it's funny!"

Todoroki blinked in confusion, wondering why Kyoka found Kaminari's current state funny.

* * *

"I knew Kyoka could handle it," Momo smiled as both headed back towards the observation room.

"That was incredible…" Izuku whispered, eyes practically sparkling in amazement as he wrote in his notebook. "Todoroki-kun's Quirk is amazingly strong! I wonder how he was able to freeze not only the entire building but construct ice barriers within seconds. Is it a Quirk that freezes the moisture in the air to create ice? Does his Quirk evaporate moisture in the concrete and then freeze it from there? There are so many possibilities…!"

"Should've seen this coming," Ochako chuckled.

Everyone seemed to be in awe of Todoroki's display. Except for Bakugo, who was instead staring down at the ground, his eyes huge and his body shaking. He stood there trembling without a word. It looked like he was ready to punch something if not somebody.

* * *

_Battle 3: Team J, Mineta Minoru & Iida Tenya (Heroes) vs Team F, Liana Kozuki & Uraraka Ochako (Villains)_

Ochako inhaled through her nose as slowly as she could, holding it in for a second before letting it out through her mouth. She knew this technique worked for her, having help to calm her nerves during Rating Game against Riser. Certainly, this won't be any harder, right?

"You doing okay, Uraraka?" Liana asked.

"Y-Yeah, just shaking off some nerves," Ochako glanced at the bomb, which was now floating in place in the right corner by the windows. They had made sure to be careful with the prop, and since All Might wasn't saying anything she assumed that they weren't violating the rules of the exercise.

"Are you sure we're allowed to do this?"

"All Might isn't saying anything. Besides, the rules never said we couldn't. My father would probably do something similar." Liana extended a bone blade. "I'll go distract them. Once you're done here, we'll meet up and retreat."

* * *

"So, how we going to do this, big guy?" Mineta asked his partner, before getting a perverted look on his face, "Can I fight Kozuki-chan?" _'Her boobs are nearly the same size as Yaoyorozu-chan's. And Uraraka-chan has terrific curves! If I can just cop a feel either one even briefly, I'd die a happy man!*'_ He mentally added.

Iida shook his head. "No, you go after the bomb. Your size and Quirk would be better suited to that." Iida knew that Mineta would be better suited to acquired ht bomb. That was the objective. The villains came second. "I'll deal with the villains!"

"What? No fair!" Mineta began to cry, "Why do you get to fight those babes while I'm stuck with-"

_["_**_Alright, heroes and villains… your time starts now!_**_"]_

Iida began walking through the front entrance, the still crying Mineta pulling some of his purple balls from his scalp and started scaling the building. _'Damn greedy bastard!'_ Mineta mentally hissed. _'He's just like Midoriya! Wanting all the boobs to himself!'_

Iida shook his head as he walked. Clearly, from the way Mineta was acting to how he was staring at their female classmates, Mineta's desire to be a hero wasn't as noble as his own. _'I hope Mineta-kun has more interest in being a hero then he's showing. It's almost like he's just here for the girls. Is he not concern that'll bring dishonor to both U.A. _and _our class?'_

Upon entering a large room, he stopped. There, standing near the center, was Liana. "Took you long enough, hero. The stage has been set and the act has already started. This is the end!" The way Liana stood there, along with the tone of her voice, sent chills down Iida's spine.

_'She certainly seems to be doing a good job playing the villain,'_ Iida thought. "That doesn't matter, villain! We _will_ stop you, no matter wh-!"

Bone spikes suddenly bursted from the ground around him, each pointed directly at him. Iida didn't had time to gape as he charged forward, the bone spikes just barely missing his body. His costume, though, had been pierced by the spikes, leaving deep gashes that exposed his skin. Iida looked to Liana, eyes wide in shock at how she was able to attack him like that.

Fluttering open her cloak to raise her right arm, Iida noticed that bone was protruding into the ground from her left._ 'So that's how she-!'_

Breaking away from the bone in the ground, Liana sped toward Iida, delivering a roundhouse kick right to the face. "Gack!" Iida groaned, his helmet flying off as blood started to pour from his broken nose. The recoil threw him into nearby crates.

* * *

As he climbed into an open window, Mineta could hear the groans of pain from Iida through the earpiece. _'Maybe it was a good idea for me to look for the weapon…'_ he thought fearfully.

* * *

Iida staggered up, recovering from the kick somewhat. "Ugh, I admit, villain, I may have underestimated you. But I will not-!"

"You haven't forgotten about me, have you?" Iida looked up. A second later a massive crate just barely hit his head. Ochako had a big, fake pout on her lips as she casually hefted another massive crate over her head. "You played right into our hands. Were you even trying to win?"

"W-What are you saying, villain!?" Iida demanded.

"I said…" Ochako plastered her best evil, nasty grin onto her face as Liana got away, "You've already lost, Heroes!" With that she threw the crate at Iida, releasing her Quirk's effect on the object the moment it left her hands. Iida avoided the crate as Ochako got away.

_["Iida, I can't find the weapon anywhere!"]_ Mineta called from the earpiece.

"Do not fret, comrade! The villains must've hidden it somewhere. We will not-"

_["_**_This match is over. The villain team… WINS!_**_"]_

Iida's widened at what he heard. _["W-what?"]_ he heard Mineta stutter. _["But there's still time!"]_

_["_**_That may be, but there is no reason to continue this match now, Young Mineta. Your opponents had a brilliant plan and put you in a no-win scenario. You lost. But you should not look at it that way. You can always come out ahead if you learn from the experience._**_"]_ The two boys stood there in shock for a moment.

In a shocked stupor, the two exited the building, finding Ochako happily chatting with Liana. "How did we lose?" Iida asked.

Liana smiled. "I'm sure All Might will explain once we get back."

* * *

_'__What the shit?! Even Round Face?!'_

Bakugo's teeth creaked from how much pressure he was putting on them. It took all his strength to not shout his thoughts for all to hear. Doing so would be admitting defeat, and he would rather die than do that.

Once the two teams returned, All Might quickly declared Liana as the MVP, to the surprise of no one in the monitoring room. "You and Kozuki-san were amazing!" Izuku gushed, "Mineta-san and Iida-san never even had a chance to win! What a brilliant plan! And your use of your Quirk was just awesome!"

Ochako rubbed the back of her head in response, "Ehehehe…"

"Kero, it was incredible. I never even thought of doing something like that. Kero, kero," Tsuyu tapped her finger on her chin as she questioned her new friend.

"I still say it was cheating." Kirishima grumbled a bit, "Totally not manly."

"What are you talking about?" Iida asked.

"What do you mean 'cheat'?" Mineta asked.

"Kozuki-san and Ochako-san did nothing wrong or anything against the rules." Said Momo. "They won fair and square."

"**That's right. Young Kozuki and Young Uraraka both embraced the spirit of the exercise. Observe!**" All Might declared and drew their attention by pointing to the screens.

_A video showed Iida and Mineta moving through the corridor of the base. Once they entered the room Liana was in, however, Ochako exited from a nearby room, hidden by a tarp and a few boxes. Over her head was the bomb, and then raced right out the door they had come in from. Giggling, Ochako took the bomb out of the building without Iida noticing._

"What the hell?!" Mineta exclaimed. "How was that _not _cheating?"

"**I never stated that you had to keep the bomb in the testing area.**" All Might grinned widely, "**In fact, I am ecstatic that at least one of you has thought of it. It is an important lesson for you to learn. Villains ****_WILL _****cheat and do everything they can to win, and often they have the advantage in that they set the pace of any combat.**" He chuckled, "**That said, the rest of you are bard from repeating this. Young Kozuki shall be getting extra points for thinking of it.**"

"To have been so easily tricked…" Iida was shaking.

* * *

_Battle 4: Team B, Yaoyorozu Momo & Hagakure Toru (Heroes) vs Team D, Tokoyami Fumikage & Aoyama Yuga (Villains)_

"I'm going to get serious!" Hagakure piped eagerly, "The gloves are coming off!"

Considering her costume was composed of only gloves and sneakers, all she did was take those off. Momo looked over and noticed the micro transceivers they had been given was floating where Hagakure's ear would be.

"Hagakure-san, the transceiver will give away your position," Momo noted, "I think for this, we should stick together. You could use your hand to cover your ears, but you would be a hand down."

Nodding in agreement (maybe), Hagakure took it off and handed it to Momo before asking, "So how do you want to do this?"

"First, let's find out where they are," Momo produced a pair of infrared heat vision goggles. She scanned the building before finding them. It looked like Tokoyami and Aoyama had decided to keep their weapon on the first-floor in a corner room.

"Looks like they want to play a defensive game," Momo murmured. "They must be afraid that you can sneak past them if they're not careful."

The game started, with both girls quickly running to their destination, Momo producing various items on the way that would help. They stopped at the door leading in the room and began to prepare for their assault. Momo placed a tiger on her lips in the direction she was sure Hagakure was in.

Gently, she placed plastic strips on the door, two on the hinges and one at the handle. "Get back," she whispered. When she heard Hagakure take a few steps back, Momo connected a wire to each strip before producing a detonator. Once she took several steps back from the door, she pressed the red button on top of it.

The door suddenly exploded. Inside they could hear the shocked screams of both Tokoyami and Aoyama, the later screaming like a little girl. Seconds later, Momo threw in several flashbangs. A loud noise and white light suddenly filled the room, blinding and deafening them. As the two defenders tried to recover, Hagakure and Momo had already charged in, recovering the nuclear weapon.

_["_**_The weapon has been retrieved. The hero team… WINS!_**_"]_

* * *

With a grunt, Monoma landed face-first on the ground, Itsuka standing triumphal above him. "Alright, Kendo!" Tetsutetsu cheered.

"Nicely done, girl!" said Setsuna.

"Impressive," Mizu clapped. "Both the best time and avoided a single hit. Well done, Kendo-chan."

"Thank you sensei," Itsuka bowed.

"Ugh… If I was able to use my Quirk, this would've been different," Monoma groaned as he got up.

Mizu sighed. "As I said before, training like this is important for when you face a situation where you can't use your Quirk. If you were up against a villain that's either a Mutation-type Quirk or can fight at a distance, like Tsunotori-chan, then you need to learn how to fight without your Quirk."

Monoma nodded, seemingly understanding.

"Anyway, that'll be it for today," Mizu said to the rest of the class. "Tomorrow it'll get serious, so be ready."

* * *

_Battle 5: Team E, Asui Tsuyu & Shoji Mezo (Heroes) vs Team A, Ashido Mina & Sero Hanta (Villains)_

_["_**_The weapon has been retrieved. The hero team… WINS!_**_"]_

Tsuyu ribbited happily from where she landed on the bomb.

"Dangit!" Mina cried. "We almost had you!"

Shoji, from his position halfway stuck in a hole created by Mina's acid, sighed in relief. "Need help, man?" Sero offered.

* * *

"**Alright, now students meet up at the exit for some closing statements.**" All Might directed.

Doing as they were told, all the students made their way to the Ground Beta's exit. As they did Bakugo was slowly trailing behind everyone, taking in everything he'd seen today. _That Half and Half bastard, and Bone Girl, they're so strong. I always thought I was the best, but… I lost to Deku… And there's those two. Can I really beat them?_ As he thought this, All Might faced his students.

"**Excellent work out there everyone. You all did well.**" All Might praised. "**And apart from a few, we've had no serious injuries. Just remember to take the lessons you learned today to heart. It was your first real training exercise but it won't be your last, so be sure to keep improving.**"

"Man, after Aizawa-sensei's class yesterday it feels kind of nice to have a much more straight forward class." Kaminari, having regained use of his brain, noted.

"**Good to hear. Now… watch a pro exit like he has somewhere to be.**" All Might bolted at lightning speed down the exit.

"So cool!" shouted Kirishima.

"Why is he in a rush, though?" Tsubasa asked.

"He must be getting ready to patrol the streets! Such dedication despite being a teacher!" Iida theorized.

Momo and Kyoka looked at one another with concerned expressions.

* * *

Izuku sighed in relief, walking back to class from Recovery Girl's office. It wasn't just because she healed all the burns he got from Bakugo earlier. He was _incredibly_ glad that his first kiss was with Rias. And it was far more pleasant than the kiss he got from the little old woman. He actually wouldn't mind if-

Izuku slapped himself, trying to get that thought out of his head. He had enough to worry about already.

[Like what?]

_'…__It's real easy to forget you can hear my thoughts.'_

[I can only hear them when you're thinking so loud.] Ddraig retorted.

Izuku simply sighed. Once he got back to class, he saw that everyone was buzzed form their first training exercise. And it wasn't long before everyone went to him.

"You were the man, Midoriya!" Kirishima grinned, slapping Izuku hard on the back.

"Yeah, you were so awesome, you dodged that crazy explosion like a champ," Kaminari grinned. Mina was currently clutched onto his shoulder, making him go rigid as he felt two very soft somethings press into his arm.

"It sure was impressive, how you and Kido-chan dealt with Bakugo-chan and Yura-chan," Even Tsuyu had made her way into the corner group. "By the way, my name's Asui Tsuyu, just call me Tsuyu."

Over in the middle of the room, Tokoyami sat on a desk watching the crowd in the corner with a raised eyebrow. "So noisy."

"Tokoyami, stop using that desk as a chair, get off of it this instant!" Iida marched his way over and began waving his hands erratically.

"Iida, you need to calm down," Hagakure commented.

"Iida doesn't relax, does he?" Kyoka commented.

Izuku chuckled nervously, not use to all the attention he was getting. Letting his eyes trail around the class, he noticed that Bakugo wasn't in his seat. Heaving a sigh, Izuku asked. "Where's Bakugo?"

"You just missed him," Ochako answered. "He left a little while ago."

* * *

Izuku let out a yawn. After a rather eventful day, he'd rather go home and rest. But he received a text from Rias saying that they have club activities today and that he and the others still needed to actually JOIN the Occult Research Club now that they were U.A. students. She had already asked the staff for them to join, but since they were hero course students they needed confirmation from them. It mostly involved writing out a small forum and agreement that their training came before their club activities.

Izuku was the first to finish and had decided to go on ahead. As he walked outside, Izuku thought back to Bakugo. A small part of him actually wanted to talk to him, but he wasn't sure if he could get the chance.

"Deku…"

He stopped, flinching nervously. There, waiting at the gate, was Bakugo, his usual angry scowl on full display. _'Uh oh…'_

Bakugo walked up to him, stopping just a few feet short. "Look, I don't know how you got that bullshit Quirk, but if you think you can get away with tricking me for so long, then you're dead!"

"W-What, no! I told you, I didn't trick you! I'm a late bloomer. I didn't discover my power until a few months ago!"

"Bullshit!" Bakugo hissed. "If you always had that then we would've found out when we were kids! That red-haired bitch had something to do with it, didn't she!"

Izuku narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Don't call her that."

"I can call her whatever the hell I want!" Bakugo screeched. "Now tell me what the fuck she did!"

"S-She didn't do anything!" Izuku stuttered.

"You're shit at lying, remember?!" Bakugo growled. "What'd she do?!"

"I told you, nothing!" Izuku retorted. "I get that you're angry, but I'm here now, whether you like it or not. My friends, people who actually believe in me, helped me get this far. I mean, sure it's not a Quirk, but I was able to make it into U.A. like you. I earn my place here and…" Izuku trailed off, noticing the blank look on Bakugo's face.

"The fuck do you mean?" Bakugo was actually confused now.

Izuku blinked, replaying what he said in his head. His eyes then widened when he realized what he let slip. "Uh, well, it's a little complicated, but what I actually meant was…" Izuku stopped talking, now noticing the way Bakugo was grating his teeth. He looked about ready to explode. _'Oh fuck me!'_

"I don't know what the fuck you're blabbering about, and frankly I don't care," Bakugo hissed. "But that doesn't matter. What matters is… I KEEP LOSING!"

"...Huh?"

"I lost to you during the entrance exam!" Bakugo yelled. "And I lost to you again today! And it's not just you!" Bakugo looked at Izuku in the eye. Tears had begun to form in the corners of the explosive teen's eyes. "When I saw the matches with Icy-Hot and Bone Girl… I realized I couldn't beat either of them one-on-one! I saw each one of those extras do something that… that I could've lost to if I wasn't careful! If I don't get better!"

He pointed to Izuku, his teeth grinding against each other as he growled. "But I'm not just going to stay the way I am, the person who lost to a damn nerd like you!" He thumbed at his chest and shouted, "I'm going to get stronger, Deku! I'm going to train so goddamn hard that the next time we fight… it's going to be me who's on top! You hear that!? Do you understand me, Deku!?" Bakugo turned around and walked away.

Izuku watched as Bakugo left. [Uh, are you okay, Partner?]

Izuku sighed, looking down at his left hand. "Yeah, I'll be fine. But now Kacc-… Bakugo knows that…"

[Yeah. That could be a problem down the road. Think you should tell Rias?]

Izuku looked down, unsure. "I don't know…"

He suddenly felt a hand placed on his shoulder.

Izuku turned around to see Rias smiling at him. Behind her were Yuuto, Momo, Kyoka, Ibara, and Ochako. "B-Buchou? Guys? How long have…?"

"Just before Bakugo started throwing a hissy fit," Kyoka answered.

Ibara and Ochako ran up to him. "Are you okay?" Ochako asked.

"He didn't do anything to you?" Ibara asked.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Izuku reassured. "But I… kinda slipped out that my power isn't a Quirk."

Rias frowned in disappointment. "We heard," Izuku flinched. "But since you didn't mention anything about the supernatural, it's should be okay. So long as Bakugo doesn't tell anyone."

"He won't," Izuku said. "He's not the type to do something like that."

Rias nodded before smiling, "I'm just glad you're okay. Momo and the others told me what happened today. I'm proud that you stood up to Bakugo like that, but when they told me he used such an attack on you…" She put her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

Ibara and Ochako, while they were jealous for a second, quickly joined in on the hug. "I honestly thought you died for a moment, Izu-kun," Ochako whimpered.

"When they told me, it reminded me of when you fought Riser. I thought he was going to kill you. You had no idea how worried I was," Rias said.

"Please, don't do anything so reckless again," Ibara said.

The boy began to turn red due to the hug. Or, more accurately, because of how Rias and the girls were hugging him. His head was on Rias' breast. He could feel just how soft yet firm it was even through her jacket. He could also feel the breasts of Ochako and Ibara pressed softly against him. He'd honestly wonder if he will _ever _get used to this. Calming down some, Izuku returned the hug. "I promise."

Rias smiled before ruffling Izuku's hair. "Now come on. There's something we need to discuss with the others."

* * *

"Oh that no good lucky son of a bitch plain-looking broccoli headed asshole…" Mineta was crying tears of blood. He and Kaminari had seen the exchange between Izuku and Bakugo from the second floor of the school. Then they saw the three girls hugging him. "…And yet, at the same time…"

"…He's a god among men…" both he and Kaminari muttered as tears went down their faces.

"We have _GOT_ to learn his secrets!" Kaminari said. No, he _insisted._

Mineta nodded his head rapidly. The two WILL learn the secrets of acquiring a harem, even if it kills them!**

* * *

Later that night…

"Do you see this? Say's here he's a teacher now." A lanky, young man tossed a newspaper aside. He was sitting in a bar, the bartender giving him a glass of whiskey. The paper talked about how All Might started teaching at U.A. High. "It makes you wonder… about what would happen if villains killed the Symbol of Peace."

**A/N:**

**Oh god~! This was NOT easy to figure out! Deku vs Kacchan was easy enough since LOTS of other people do it. Figuring out how everyone else did in the battle trials, ESPECIALLY when the matchups are different from canon, was a nightmare!**

**Also, before anyone wonders why Kaminari's electricity didn't hit Todoroki, I looked it up and apparently ice is a poor conductor of electricity, which is ironic since it's just frozen water. And I'm sorry about Battle 5 being so short. I honestly couldn't think of a way it would've been interesting.**

**Also, the scene where Ochako and Liana took the bomb out of the building was inspired by a similar scene in Primordial Vortex's _"__The Emerald Phoenix"_.**

**Also, Tsubasa's Quirk was inspired by the Quirk Mugiwara N0 Luffy gave Makoto in _"Thieves Can Be Heroes!"_, though it'll be more like Classic Ben 10's Kevin Levin than Marvel's Absorbing Man.**

**Anyway, next chapter will mostly deal with the opposite (1-A doing spars while 1-B does battle trials), though I doubt I'm gonna go into detail after the headache this was.**

**EDIT: Did a few changes here, mostly with how Bakugo confronted with Izuku. Hope you don't mind.**

***Yeah, no. You'd die kicking and screaming, being slowly torn apart by an angry Izuku for daring to even THINK of touching his future mates.**

****I mean, MAYBE Kaminari, but not Mineta. Unless he finds a woman into midget men.**


	22. Another Day

**AN:**

**Merry Christmas and happy new year! Anyway, I hope you all had fun during the holidays, wherever you are in this beautiful yet twisted world. As I'm sure some of you are aware, I did a retcon about Momo having One For All. After realizing that she would hardly use the Quirk, I decided to do a little editing and have that aspect removed from her (sorry OP!Momo fans. She'll still be really powerful but without One For All).**

**As for who will get it? Well, I'm open to suggestions for now. I mean, on AO3 alone there are fics where not just Mirio, but also Kirishima, Tsuyu, Ochako, Shinsou, and even BAKUGO getting One For All. Obviously, neither Ochako nor Bakugo will be getting One For All as Ochako's a Rook and I have plans for Bakugo. *chuckles evilly***

**Mirio won't be getting One For All either... I think. I just get the feeling that he'd refused the offer, even if Sir Nighteye pressured him to accept. He worked hard to get to where he was, using his own Quirk that he mastered, so being handed the mantel of the number one hero on a silver platter probably won't sit well with him. So the ones I like most who could inherit One For All are Kyoka and Itsuka. It'll be one of them, but I'm leaning towards Kyoka at the moment.**

**Mugiwara N0 Luffy: Yes, Tsubasa's Quirk is inspired by the Quirk you gave Makoto in _"Thieves Can Be Heroes!"_. I went back and gave credit, so I hope you don't mind.**

* * *

Once the Gremory Peerage had gathered in the clubroom, Rias had told them the news she received earlier that day. Suffice to say, they were surprised. "Riser's sister is transferring here?" Izuku asked.

"That's right," Rias said. "Sona has already talked with the principle, so everything should be set soon."

"This feels kinda sudden," Momo commented. The Rating Game against Riser was still fresh in their minds, so the thought that his Bishop and younger sister had decided to study here was rather surprising.

"Yeah, doesn't she have a lot of duties to do back in the Underworld or something?" Ochako asked.

"Normally that be the case, but since she's a free Bishop now, she has a lot of freedom."

"Free Bishop?"

At Ibara's question, Rias elaborated, "Apparently after the Rating Game, it seems that Lady Phenex, at Ravel's request, had Riser trade Ravel to her Peerage. Since she doesn't take part in Rating Games, it leaves Ravel with a significant amount of free will. As a 'free' Bishop, she's decided to come here to study, impressed with me, Sona, and Kudelia. Though her mother told me that she seems quite eager to meet Izu-kun once again."

Izuku blushed slightly, while Ochako and Ibara had small scowls. "Wait, trade? You mean if you wanted to you could trade Momo or someone else with another devil like a collectible card?" Kyoka asked.

"Not exactly. It has to be decided by both parties, and the traded pieces have to be the same type and value. For example, if I wanted to trade Izuku, which I never will, the recipient would need to trade all eight of their Pawns."

"When is she arriving? And what year is she?" Yuuto asked, getting everyone back on track.

"I just got the message that she arrived a little while ago," Rias answered. "She'll be living at a Gremory owned apartment complex not far from U.A. Once she's done settling in, she'll be joining U.A. Middle School tomorrow as a third-year, same class as Koneko."

It was now Koneko's turn to scowl.

"Should we go visit her?" Izuku asked.

"Tomorrow before school," Rias answered. "We need to let her settle in first, then we can visit."

* * *

The next day came, and Izuku, Rias, Ochako, and Ibara left the apartment earlier than normal, wanting to pick up Ravel for her first day. "Wow, these are fancy apartments," Ochako commented.

"These are supported by the Gremory family," Rias said. "Before I moved into your apartment, Izu-kun, I used to stay here."

_'No surprise there…'_ the other three sweat-dropped.

The four eventually spotted Ravel, standing by the door of an apartment, wearing the same uniform as Koneko and carrying a dark green bag. Beside her stood a familiar face. _'Isabela?'_

Ravel and the Rook soon took note of their approach. Ravel smiled in delight, "Hello Lady Rias," she greeted before she shyly looked to Izuku. "Uh, hello, Red Dragon Emperor."

Izuku stared for a moment, thinking that the U.A. uniform made her look cute for a second, before greeting the young Phenex. "Yeah, hello Ravel-chan."

Ravel fumed and stomped her foot. "That's Ravel Phoenix to you, mister," she pouted cutely, before looking away with a blush. "This is why I hate speaking with low-class devils."

Ibara and Ochako chuckled nervously while Izuku sweat-dropped. It seemed she still had some attitude. "I take it you've already settled in?" Rias asked.

"Bags unpacked and everything's squared away," Isabela answered.

"If you don't mind me asking, how's your brother doing," Izuku nearly choked.

"…He's done nothing but broad in his bedroom ever since the Rating Game," Ravel answered. "Losing to you and having Rias stolen away really hit him hard. Though I guess he deserved it, relying too much on natural ability. It was bound to happen eventually."

"We heard that you're part of your mother's peerage now," Ochako said. "Any reason why you decided to leave your brother's peerage?"

"N-Nothing in particular," Ravel began twiddling her thumbs as she blushed. "Just that… maybe one day when he's a high-class devil… the Red Dragon Emperor could…"

Izuku blinked in confusion, wondering what Ravel was talking about. Rias, Ochako, and Ibara had a smidge bit of jealous swell within. "Uh, there's no reason for you to call me that. I much rather prefer you call me by my name," Izuku said.

"I-I can call you by your name!?" Ravel's eyes widened in a mix of shock and wonder, her face particle gleaming. Somehow, Izuku found her even cuter than before. Quickly, Ravel recomposed herself. "Very well, then I will give you the honor of being called Lord Izuku for now on. Sound good?"

Not even close.

"Now that's out of the way, is it alright if… I give you a mouthful of my tea?" she offered.

Izuku blinked with a confused expression on his face.

"Umm… what I meant was…" Ravel turned away from him again, looking even more embarrassed, pushing her index fingers together. "Lately I've been making my own cakes and they go great with tea. Maybe some time you can try them. I mean not now! I have to get to school! Bye!" She finished quickly and rushed away from him.

"Ah, Ravel-chan, the school is the other way!" Izuku called out.

Ravel stopped. She slowly turned back around, her face red due to embarrassment. "I-I knew that!"

Isabela smiled in amusement. "She's right, we need to leave soon," Rias said.

"Very well." Isabela nodded. "With your leave, I'll head back now."

"Thank you, Isabela." Ravel nodded to her brother's Rook, signaling her dismissal.

Isabela bowed slightly, her right hand laid across her chest and over her heart. "My Lady," she looked around briefly, ensuring no one would be watching before she repeated the gesture to Izuku. "I'll be waiting for a rematch, _Lord_ Izuku." With that, a circle of orange sigils blazed beneath her and she departed.

Izuku sweat-dropped. That was going to become a thing, isn't it?

* * *

"Just keep calm, be polite, and above all, remember that the humans around you are classmates on equal footing, not inferior."

"I know that," Ravel huffed in annoyance. "This is the third time now."

Rias raised an eyebrow as they walked together. "The third?"

"Once from mother and father, once from Isabela this morning, and now you. I don't see why it's such a big deal."

"Ravel, in human culture, private tutors are pricey and not always affordable or even available. As such, this school system is the only one they know and we all need to respect that. That means pretending to be ordinary human students."

Ravel fumed for a minute before nodding in understanding.

As the small group continued to walk they were soon joined by Koneko, who lived nearby. "Good morning, Koneko-chan," Ibara greeted.

"…Morning." Koneko returned the greeting.

"Koneko, I have a favor to ask," Rias said. "I'm sure you remember Ravel Phenex. She'll be in your class starting today, so can you be her guide for the time being?"

"…Okay," Koneko turned toward Ravel. "I'll keep an eye on the pathetic fried chicken girl."

Ravel flinched. "What did you just call me?"

"…Pathetic," Koneko bluntly answered.

Ravel gasped. "How dare you! I can't believe you have the audacity to insult a member of the Phenex Family."

"You just came to the human world and already you're causing trouble for Buchou," Koneko retorted. "That's why I called you pathetic."

"At least it's better than being a little pussy like you!" Ravel shot back.

"Fried chicken."

As Ravel and Koneko glared at each other, the older devils nervously looked on. "I think this might be a mistake," Izuku muttered.

"I believe you're right…" said Rias.

As the group approached U.A.'s front entrance, they soon noticed what looked like a small mob had gathered there. "Is this normal?" Ravel asked.

Suddenly, they were all surrounded by cameras and microphones.

"You! What's it like having the Symbol of Peace himself as a teacher?"

"What class does he teach?"

"How does All Might take his coffee?"

"U-Um…" Izuku, along with the others, all began to grow nervous.

Fortunately, Rias came to the rescue. "Well, we haven't seen him much in General Studies, so…"

The reporters immediately left them alone. Izuku and the others breathed a sigh of relief as they got through. "Thanks, Buchou," Ochako said.

"No problem," Rias replied. She then looked back at the reporters, who now seemed to be interring Iida… and, judging from the expressions, it wasn't what they were hoping for. "Still, it's only been two days since school started, and already the media is close to flooding the school. I guess that's what happens when the number one hero suddenly starts teaching."

"Is All Might really here?" Ravel asked.

"Yep!" Ochako replied. "And he's a lot like he is on tv!"

Ravel's eyes grew wide. "Uh, is it possible… for you to get me his autograph?"

"Ah, that's right! I forgot to ask him for one yesterday!" Izuku exclaimed. "Wait, you're a fan of All Might?"

"Of course I am!" Ravel exclaimed. "Nearly everyone in the Underworld knows about him."

"She's right," Rias said. "A lot of heroes from around the globe are famous in the Underworld. Many devils have tried to recruit them over the years… with mix results. And All Might is at the top of that list, but since no one knows his real name and his Quirk is unknown, all attempts to recruit him have failed."

"Does… that mean he knows about the devils?" Izuku asked.

"I sure he's at least aware of us," Rias answered. "Though I doubt he knows that we, specifically, are devils. Now then, let's hurry and get to class."

As they went to their respective classes (or school, in the case of Koneko and Ravel), Aizawa chose this moment to confront the reporters. "Um, about All Might… Wow, you're scruffy… What's your deal?" A female news reporter asked with a grimace as Aizawa stood in front of the media.

"All Might's not on campus at the moment. You're disturbing the students, so go home." Aizawa turned around and went through the front entrance.

"Wait! I want to speak to All Might directly!"

Aizawa sighed and shook his head as he kept walking, _'How does All Might deal with these idiots on a daily basis?'_

"Hey! Just a little interview is fine! Just let me see All Might!" Aizawa ignored her. "Why that… FINE! If they won't give us All Might I'll go in and get an interview myself!" She began walking past the front entrance.

"No, wait!" Just then a buzzer went off, followed by a multitude of metal gates that sealed off the press's entry to the school.

"W-What the hell?!" The female reporter screamed as she fell back.

"It's the U.A. Barrier. If someone tries to get in without a Student ID or a pass, the security system kicks in. There are sensors all over the school."

"Security system!? It nearly killed me!" She got up, bruising herself. "Keeping the public out." The female reported growled in irritation. "This school thinks it's untouchable! The least they could do is grant me one interview." As the reporters began to vent their frustrations at being unable to even get a comment about All Might, they failed to notice that, far behind them, a mysterious figure was standing there…

* * *

Liana sighed in relief, having dodged the mob of reporters out by the entrance. Having a Quirk that can let her pole-vault over them certainly helped. Once Liana entered her homeroom class, she noticed that she was one of the first to arrive, with only Iida, Izuku, Momo, Kyoka, Ochako, Bakugo, and Todoroki in the class.

Talking her seat, Liana pulled out a book to help pass the time until class started.

"Hmm… Castling seems useful."

Liana's attention was drawn from her book toward Midoriya Izuku.

He was taking notes, like always, but instead of any of the books they were provided with, he was reading a chess guide book. "I never knew chess had so many terms and phrases. Not to mention some of the special moves certain pieces have. It's a lot more complicated than I thought," he mumbled, writing something in his notebook.

Her curiosity piqued, Liana approached the boy. "I wasn't aware you were interested in chess, Midoriya."

Izuku nearly jumped. "O-Oh, Kozuki-san!" He shook his head. "Not exactly. A friend of mine is and she got me interested." That wasn't exactly a lie. Rating Games do share some rules with chess.

Liana nodded before she smiled. "If you want, I can teach you."

"You'd… do that?" Izuku asked.

Liana nodded again before adding, "But in exchange, I want to ask you something."

"W-What is it?"

Liana looked back to her book. "Not here. Let's wait until lunch."

Izuku blinked. "Uh… okay?"

It wasn't long before everyone else arrived, followed by Aizawa. He nodded when he saw that all the students had already taken their seats. "You're becoming more rational as time passes. That's good. Allow me to congratulate you on your hard work during yesterday's combat training. I saw the video and the results, and in general, you have done a good job." He took the time to explain to each student what they did right and what they did wrong, some more than others.

Once Aizawa finished, however… "Now then, onto homeroom business. We need to do something that will decide your futures."

Dread filled all the students. _'Is it another Quirk test?'_

"You all need to pick a Class Representative."

_'Oh good, just normal school stuff.'_ Everyone sighed in relief before they began jumping out of their seats.

"I want to be class rep! Pick me!" Kirishima yelled out.

"Me too!" Kaminari followed suit.

"It's a job made for-"

"I'll be the leader!" Mina shouted, interrupting Aoyama.

Izuku silently chuckled as the class all argued about wanting the position of Class Representative. Even though this was normal school stuff, it was different. In a normal school, the role of Class Representative just meant extra work so almost no one wanted to be stuck with the roll. At hero schools like U.A., however, being the Class Representative is a sure-fire way to get noticed by hero agencies despite the extra work it had.

"Silence, everyone!" Iida yelled, standing up. The class stop. "The duty of Class Representative is to lead others, that's not something just anyone can do, you must first have the trust of every student in the classroom. Therefore the most logical way to fill this position is democratically." Here he stood as straight as he could. "We should hold an election to chose our leader."

Iida had said it so seriously, yet was shaking in anticipation. Everyone soon realized that he wanted them to vote for him.

"Is that really the best idea?" Kaminari asked.

"We've only known each other for three days, how would we know who we can trust?" Tsuyu voiced her question with a finger to her cheek.

"Yeah. Wouldn't everyone just vote for themselves?" Kirishima asked, leaning on his table.

"Most people will, but that means whoever does receive multiple votes must truly be the most suitable person for the job," here Iida turned to Aizawa, who was already in his sleeping bag. "It's the best way, right sir?"

"Do what you want, just decide before my naps over," with that Aizawa crashed to the floor.

_'He's so lazy…'_

"Thank you for your trust." Iida needlessly bowed.

After being handed a piece of paper, Izuku thought about what to do. _'Voting for myself will give me an advantage if someone else votes for me, but the point of this election is to chose someone I think is capable of being the Class Representative… I'm not sure I would do well…'_ he trailed off and discretely looked around the room. _'I can think of at least one person who could do it.'_

It took another five minutes before the results were tallied up. The top three were:

1st: Midoriya Izuku, 5

2nd: Yaoyarozu Momo, 4

3rd: Liana Kozuki, 2

"I got five votes!?" Izuku exclaimed in disbelief.

"Who the fuck voted for shitty Deku?!" Bakugo roared in indignation.

"Did you honestly think anyone was gonna vote for you?" Sero grinned a little at Bakugo's outrage.

Much of the class agreed with the pair.

"Zero votes…" Iida lamented as he sat at his desk. "I expected this, but still…"

Before anyone could comment on this, Aizawa got up. "Alright, that settles it. Midoriya is the class rep, and Yaoyorozu is vice rep," the teacher said in a bored and monotone voice as the two choices stood and bowed to the class.

_'Hmm, I don't mind this set up at all,_' Momo thought, smiling and winking at Izuku, who blushed but returned the smile. This wasn't lost on Kyoka, who wondered what her girlfriend was doing.

* * *

The rest of the morning passed by and soon it was lunchtime. As most of Class 1-A left, Izuku and Momo stayed behind to discuss with Aizawa about their new responsibilities. It didn't take long, as Aizawa soon took another nap. _'How many naps does he need?'_ Izuku thought to himself as he and Momo exited the classroom. He didn't get far, though, when he noticed that Liana was waiting outside.

Remembering their talk earlier, Izuku told Momo, "I'll catch up."

Momo, though slightly concerned, left for the cafeteria. Once she was out of earshot Liana spoke up. "I'm glad to see you remembered."

"R-Right," Izuku nodded. "You wanted to ask me something?"

"Yes. I wanted to ask about your Quirk," she said.

"Huh?" Izuku didn't know what to say at first. "What do you mean?"

"Think back to the Quirk Apprehension Test," Liana continued. "I saw Aizawa use his Quirk on you a couple of times, but you weren't affected in the slightest. During the Battle Trials, your Quirk showed all the hallmarks of both emitter and transformation-types, yet it's immune to Aizawa's Quirk. And it's obviously not a mutation-type Quirk. So what is it?"

Izuku went wide-eyed before calming down. "Well, I'm a late bloomer. I didn't get my power until a few months ago, so there's a lot about it I don't know." Izuku said, replaying what he, Rias, and the others discuss should someone ask him about his 'Quirk'.

Liana, however, didn't seem convinced. Instead, she raised her eyebrow in curiosity. "'Power'? So you're saying that you don't have Quirk."

Izuku blanched. He was shocked that she was able to figure it out so easily.

"You're not trying to deny it," she continued. "That means I'm right."

Ddraig chuckled in amusement. [I like her.]

"U-U-Uh, w-w-w-we-well, it's, uh…" Izuku had no idea what to say or do.

"Izuku-kun?"

Izuku's head snapped to Kiba Yuuto. _'Oh, thank G- uh, Satan?'_ "Yuuto-san, hey," Izuku greeted

"Is there something you wanted from Izuku-kun?" Yuuto asked Liana.

Liana shook her head. "No. I got what I needed." At that, Liana turned to leave. "I'll let you know when I can teach you later."

Izuku and Yuuto watched as Liana turned the corner. "What was that about?" Yuuto asked.

Izuku sighed.

* * *

"She knows?" Yuuto asked as he and Izuku stood in line in the cafeteria.

Izuku nodded. "She saw right through me."

Yuuto put a hand to his chin I thought. "So that's two of your classmates who know now. I doubt it'll cause too much trouble, especially since they only know about you, but we'll need to be more careful from now on."

"Yeah."

Once they got their food, the two male devils were about to make their way to the table they and their friends normally eat, when Izuku noticed that Ibara was sitting nearby.

"Ibara-san? Why's she there?"

As Yuuto went on ahead, Izuku made his way towards Ibara. She seemed to be talking with someone. It was a slender, brown-haired girl wearing pink glasses. Her hair was done in pigtails on both sides of her head and bangs that covered most of her forehead, gold eyes, and thigh-high black socks.

Izuku froze in place and paled, recognizing her right away. It was Kiryuu Aika._ 'Oh, no.'_

The glasses-wearing girl noticed him. "Oh, look Shiozaki-chan. Your boyfriend is here."

Ibara and Izuku both began to blush "B-B-B-B-B-Boyfriend!?" Ibara stuttered.

"Huh?" Kiryuu adjusted her glasses. "Am I wrong? It's just that you two are always together, so I thought-"

"Out of the way, shitty Deku!" Izuku nearly jumped as Bakugo, tray in hand, walked by. "Why the fuck are you-" he stopped mid-sentence when he saw who else was here.

"Oh, hey there, Explosion Boy," Kiryuu greeted, waving her hand.

Bakugo stood there for a moment, eyes wide in disbelief before he yelled. "WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU HERE, HENTAI GLASSES?!"

A lot of the students in the cafeteria turned toward them at Bakugo's outburst. "If you must know," Kiryuu cleaned her ear with a bored expression. "I'm in the Business Course. Not everyone here at U.A. wants to be a hero, Explosion Bo- Huh? Where'd he go?" Bakugo had disappeared.

_'Maybe I should follow Bakugo's example?'_ Izuku thought to himself.

"By the way, what'd you think of the book I gave you, Ibara-chan?"

_'Book?'_

"It was… informative…" Ibara was blushing, having hesitated to answer.

"C'mon! The '101 Saucy Ways To Get The Boy You Want' had to have helped in some way!"

"The what…?" Suddenly, Izuku remembered the 'nude encounter' he had with Ibara before the Rating Game with Riser. _"I've read that… Nude encounters like this can help people get closer. So… Do you want to have a nude encounter with me?"_

_'It was Kiryuu's fault!'_ He realized. _'I should've known…'_ Clearing his throat (and his thoughts) Izuku said, "C-C'mon, Ibara-san. The others are waiting."

"R-Right. It was good talking to you, Aika-san," Ibara polity bowed as she took her tray.

"Likewise," Kiryuu replied. "Have fun love birds~!" Izuku and Ibara, both red and their heads steaming, left to join their friends. Kiryuu chuckled at their embarrassment when she noticed two students nearby. They were happily writing in notebooks, looks of perversion on their faces. "What are you doing?"

"Taking notes," they both answered.

"We're trying to figure out how to get a harem by recording everything Midoriya does," the shorter one said, a bit of drool dripping from his mouth.

"Wait, Mineta! All you did was write the girl's three sizes!"

"You have to take all factors into account, Kaminari!"

Before Kaminari could reply, Kiryuu took the notebook from Mineta's hand and looked it over. "Wow, these are pretty accurate. You even got my three sizes right," she said.

"I don't mean to brag but… I spent years learning how to determine a woman's three sizes just from looking," Mineta bragged, a rather smug look on his face.

"Do you have any standards?" Kaminari asked.

"That is impressive," Kiryuu grinned, her glasses reflecting light, "But you're not the only one who can do that."

"What?!" Mineta and Kaminari exclaimed when they noticed that the strange girl was now looking at Mineta… specifically his crotch.

Normally, Mineta would've been thrilled about a girl looking there, but here he felt both terrified and a tad uncomfortable about her doing so. "Ah, I see." She finally said, "That's… not impressive. Easily the bottom of the list. Compensating for something, are you?" Mineta suddenly found himself in a pit of despair, his soul trying to escape his mouth as his head sagged comically.

Kaminari blanched in shock. "That's… scary…"

"I know your size, too. And I like it," Kaminari immediately covered his crotch out of embarrassment. "In fact, I know the sizes of all eleven of 1-A's boys, as well as the other first-year heroics male students, and you're in the top 10."

Kaminari didn't know if he should feel embarrassed or proud by Kiryuu's words. Then what she said caught his attention. "Wait… eleven? I think you might've miscounted."

"You don't know?" Kiryuu asked. "Well, I guess you'll find out eventually."

* * *

"What kept you guys?" Kyoka asked. She was sitting in-between Momo and Ochako.

"I was talking with a friend from middle school," Ibara answered.

"I heard that you were voted Class Representative," Rias said as Izuku ad Ibara sat down. "I'm so proud of you, Izu-kun!"

"It's kinda weird, though. I was voted as Class Representative earlier too," said Itsuka.

"Congratulations, Midoriya-san," said Milia.

"U-Uh, thanks," Izuku stuttered. "But I'm not sure I'm cut out for it…"

"Don't say that," Rias put her arm around him, causing the boy to blush. "We both know you can do it. I believe in you." As Rias said that, she couldn't help but smirk at the jealous looks from Ochako, Ibara, Itsuka, Ibara, and Milia.

"Rias-senpai-kun is correct," Iida said. "Your courage and quick thinking under stress will help make you a worthy leader. Not to mention the strength you've demonstrated. Those are the reasons I voted for you, at least."

"You were one of the five?" Izuku asked.

"I voted for you, too," Ochako said.

"As did I."

"Same here."

Izuku turned around, seeing both Tsubasa and Hyde standing behind them. "Where'd you guys come from? And… did you really vote for me?"

"Yep. I couldn't just leave my buddy hanging," Hyde smiled. "Even though I ended up as the MVP, it was your plan."

Izuku nodded before he looked to Tsubasa. "And what about you?"

Tsubasa shrugged. "Honestly, I figured you would be the best qualified for it, Green."

"…Green?" Izuku blinked.

"So who did you vote for, Izuku-san?" Ibara asked.

"O-Oh, I voted for Momo-san, actually," Izuku admitted.

"Wait, then who was the fifth vote?" Hyde asked.

"It was me!" Everyone turned to see Mina, smiling in excitement.

"You did, Ashido-san?" Izuku asked.

Mina nodded. "Yep! You guys saw me jumping all excited, wanting people to vote for me. But I decided to vote for you, Midori. A cute boy like you deserves the position. By the way, is it okay if I call you Midori?" Mina asked, smiling at him.

"U-Uh… s-sure. I-It's okay. I'm fine with it, Ashido-san," a nervous Izuku said.

"Great!" Mina smiled at his reaction when she decided to glomp him. "Call me Mina!"

"A-A-A-A-A…" Izuku stuttered, his face burning red.

Mina chuckled at Izuku's embarrassment when Rias suddenly pulled Izuku away from her. She, along with Ochako, Ibara, Milia, and even Itsuka and Tsubasa were all giving Mina jealous glares. Mina smiled at them, accepting it as a challenge. _'This'll be fun.'_

Hyde nervously looked at each of the girls, thinking that they'll be seeing blood at any moment.

"A ladies man?" Yui said, sitting next to Itsuka.

"I-I'm not a…wait, who are you?" Izuku asked.

"Oh, right. You haven't been introduced yet," Itsuka stopped glaring at Mina for a minute as she gestured at Yui. "This is our classmate, Kodai Yui."

"Hello." Yui greeted flatly, taking a bite of rice.

_'She kinda reminds me of Koneko,'_ Izuku thought.

"Anyway, didn't you want to be class president, Iida-san?" Ochako asked, having decided to veer the subject away from Izuku, "You even have the glasses and everything!"

_'That's not the point,'_ all of them thought.

"Wanting a position and being suitable for it are two very different things," Iida replied. "Observing my family's agency has taught me that much."

"Agency?" The others asked.

"Wait, what does you're family do?" Izuku asked.

"Oh, uh… it's nothing."

"Just tell us. It's not like we're not gonna snitch or anything." Kyoka pointed out.

"Come on, Iida. Tell us everything." Mina demanded.

"We won't treat you any different," said Hyde.

At all the curious stares he was receiving, Iida sighed. "I don't like it when it's bought up… But if I must talk about such things… You see, I'm from a family that's been in heroics for generations."

"What?! That's awesome!" Izuku, Ochako, Mina, and Hyde all exclaimed.

"Do any of you know of the Turbo Hero: Ingenium?" Iida asked.

"I know all about him!" Izuku's eyes lit up, "He's a super-popular hero whose Tokyo office has hired as many as sixty-five sidekicks! Wait, you don't mean…"

"He's my elder brother," Iida answered.

"Holy crap! For real!" Kyoka said.

"Your family's famous!" Ochako exclaimed.

"That's amazing!" Said Yuuto.

"No freakin' way!" Hyde exclaimed.

"I can't believe it!" Izuku said.

"Ingenium has a brother?" Yui asked.

"Indeed!" Iida beamed with pride. "He leads the people with his unwavering adherence to rules and regulations. A truly beloved hero! It's my admiration for my brother that has inspired my own desire to become a hero. That said, I have recently realized that I'm not truly ready to be a leader like him yet. Midoriya-kun, for example, realized the point of the practical portion of the Entrance Exam, unlike me. So he's more suitable for the job than I am. As such, I aspire to follow his example as a Hero." Iida finished with a confident smile.

Izuku smiled in admiration at Iida. The way Iida respects his older brother, Ingenium, reminded Izuku of how Rias respects her brother Sirzechs. Sure, he only met Sirzechs once briefly, and Rias was clearly annoyed by his antics, but the respect was there.

"That's crazy! I'm mad at myself for not realizing sooner," said Hyde.

"Was it that obvious?" Iida asked.

"W-Well, I kinda had a feeling," Izuku admitted. "Iida-kun's name was a big clue, and his Quirk is a lot like Ingenium's. And the way his costume was designed resembled Ingenium's Mark 1 costume."

"Y-You're quite knowledgeable…" Iida stared at Izuku bewilderingly.

"Hero otaku," Yui ate her sandwich blankly.

"You have no idea," Rias giggled. "You should see his room. It's full of nothing but-"

"ANYWAY, what do you think we'll be doing today?" Izuku cut her off, desperately trying to change the subject.

Before anyone could answer him, however…

_*_**_VREEEEEEE!_**_*_

"Oww goddamn it!" Kyoka exclaimed, covering her ears. "What's going on?"

"**_Warning! Level 3 Security Breach. All students, please evacuate the building in an orderly fashion._**"

"What's a Level 3 Security Breach?" Momo asked.

"It means someone infiltrated onto school grounds!" yelled an upperclassman, "In my three years here, this has never happened before! We have to get out of here!"

All of the students began to head for the exit. But soon everything quickly become chaotic. A sea of students had formed due to everyone panicking, with Izuku and the others being sandwiched in.

"Hey, quit shoving!" Hyde barked.

"I can't breath!" Milia wheezed.

"W-W-What is this all of sudden!?" Ochaco cried out as her side got hit by an elbow.

"As expected of U.A. students, they are quick to react in a crisis," Iida grunted.

"I don't think it's that, it's more like they're panicking," stated Itsuka as she enlarged her hands slightly to protect herself.

"Izu-kun, where are you?" Rias called out worryingly.

"I'm ove-!" Izuku tried to call out, but some students pushed him further away. He somehow found himself in between Yui and Tsubasa, his hands and face pressing against the window. "K-K-Kodai-san! Y-Yura-san!" He cried out when the two were shoved into him. He could feel Yui's soft chest pressed into his while Tsubasa's pressed against his back.

Izuku's face burned red. "S-S-S-S-S-Sorry!" He cried out, trying his best to not lose his head over the close contact with them.

"It's okay," Yui replied, "It's not your fault." If Izuku was not freaking out, he would notice that the quiet girl still had the same blank expression the whole time and wonder how the hell can she be calm in the middle of a crisis.

Tsubasa, meanwhile, actually liked how close she was with Izuku. It reminded her of a hug pillow, in a way. An elbow shoving into her back quickly reminded her that she didn't have time to fantasize about him, though. As she was being pressed against the window, Tsubasa caught sight of what probably caused the alarm.

It was the press. The same group from this morning had somehow made their way onto U.A. grounds, being blocked by Aizawa and Present Mic. "The press! That's what this is about?!" Tsubasa exclaimed.

Izuku, upon hearing her, peeked outside. "Then there's no reason for everyone to be panicking." He muttered. Everyone was still pushing harder and harder. If they didn't stop soon, someone was going to get hurt. _'I have to do something! I have to let everyone know that everything is okay.'_ Izuku thought to himself. His eyes darted around the hallway, try to find someplace where everyone could see him. His eyes soon landed above the exit sign.

_'I just need to get up there,'_ with a grunt, Izuku unfurled his wings. Unfortunately, they happened to smack into Yui and Tsubasa. "S-Sorry!"

"It's okay," Yui replied, the same blank expression on her face.

"Warn us next time, though," said Tsubasa. "What are you up to?"

Izuku pointed toward the exit sign. "I need to get up there."

Tsubasa looked to where he was pointing and nodded. "Let me!"

"H-Hey, what are-?" Izuku wasn't given time to ask as, using her Rook strength, Tsubasa lifted Izuku up and tossed him into the air. Izuku wailed a bot before he slammed into the wall above the exit sign, leaving an indent in the wall.

[That looked painful.]

Izuku ignored Ddraig's comment. He turned around and looked at the still panicking students. _'Okay, here goes nothing…'_ Izuku thought nervously. He took a deep breath and… "EVERYONE! Calm down! It's just the media and press! There is nothing to worry about. The teachers got the situation under control. There is nothing to fear! This is U.A. for crying out loud. Act with some sense and calm down!"

Every student quieted down and sighed in relief. Some of the students were now looking out the window to see what he and Tsubasa saw.

As police sirens approached, Izuku knew that soon the journalists would be forced to leave, and as he looked at his friends, he noticed all of them were smiling at him, happy about how he stepped up and did what he needed to do to get the situation under control.

A few moments later, the student council, led by Sona Sitri, was in the hallway, calling for all the students to return to their classrooms. "This was a false alarm. Several reporters got past the barrier. Please return to your classrooms now."

* * *

A few minutes later, Mizu, Midnight, and Principle Nezu were standing by the front gate. Not only had the barrier been destroyed, but it also looked like it had been completely disintegrated. "This was no news reporter," said Midnight. "Who or what could've done this?"

"Did any of the media capture this on film?" Mizu asked.

"Detective Tsukauchi is already interviewing those involved," Nezu answered. "He hasn't found anything yet. What I'm more concerned with is why someone would do this. No students were hurt. And as far as we can tell, nothing in the school was taken."

"Should we cancel the first-years USJ trips, then?" Midnight asked.

"Why not combine them, sir?" Mizu suggested. "Should something happen, putting two of our most versatile fighters together, along with Thirteen and All Might, may be more than enough to defend the students."

"Hmm, yes, I like that idea," Nezu nodded. "It would also be a good opportunity for the students to network past their own classes before they develop cliques. All Might did wish to host large-scale Battle Trials between both classes, so this can act as a predecessor."

* * *

After what happened during lunch, despite the anxiety among the students, classes resumed like normal. In 1-A, everyone waited to see if their heroics classes were canceled. As this was 1-A's free period, they would have to wait until either Aizawa or whoever was their heroics teacher today to show up.

As such, Izuku took this moment to head over to the middle school to check up on Koneko and Ravel. They and the other middle schoolers had heard of the commotion at the high school, but as far as they could tell nothing odd happened at their middle school. Well, except for maybe the argument Ravel and Koneko were having. Izuku wisely decided to leave before they could drag him into it. By the time he made it back to the high school, a few minutes were left before their free period was over. Not wanting to get choked by Aizawa's scarf, Izuku hurried along the halls.

As he walked through the halls, Izuku felt something brush up against his foot. Quickly glancing down he saw that a disembodied foot was slowly tapping against his. He nearly screamed before he looked around the hall. He then spotted the foot's owner, given that she was missing her foot. It was a girl, likely the same year as him.

She was looking right back at him, grinning. She looked like a hungry animal staring down its next meal. His mind raced as it tried to figure out a possible reason for all this. "Sorry about that," she said as the foot returned to its rightful place. "I wanted to talk to you for a sec." She then lifted up a handless arm in his direction.

Before he could ask, Izuku felt something pull his hair. The girl giggled. "You've got curly green hair! Just like me!"

Izuku, realizing that her hand was what was tugging his hair, shyly looked away. "Uhhhh, y-yeah, I guess I do," he laughed nervously, a light blush on his face. "Is there something I can do for you?"

The girl smiled as her hand reattached to her wrist. "Name's Tokage Setsuna. I'm in Class 1-B, and I've heard a lot about you, Midoriya." Izuku blushed, the thought that Ibara and/or Milia were talking about him to their classmates being unexpected. And embarrassing. "I saw what you did during lunch. That was really cool. And I heard you have a really cool Quirk, too. Something like Ryukyu's. Can I see it?"

"Uh, y-yeah. My p-power is similar to Ryukyu's. It's called Dragon Force." Izuku proceeded to demonstrate, Setsuna watching closely as his hand transformed, his skin turning jagged and sharp, and his wings unfurling. "Basically I grow green or red scales and wings, which gives me better defense, strength and of course flight…" To Izuku's surprise, the sight of his wings and scales caused Setsuna to start blushing.

"Cooool. You're just like a dinosaur." Setsuna looked at him with big eyes and a cute smile, making him look away.

"I, uh… guess I kinda am… ah-hem, we should probably head back to our classes before the period ends. We don't want to get in tro-"

"Oh, c'mon, we still got some time to hang out and talk," Setsuna suggested. She came in closer to Izuku, leaning forward with a mischievous yet gentle smile. But her eyes looked predatory for a split second before the recommended student fluttered them seductively.

Izuku broke out in a nervous sweat, recognizing the look in Setsuna's eyes. It was the same kind of look Rias, Ochako, and Ibara occasionally had when they wanted to get 'closer' to him. "I, uh-"

"Soooo, until the bell rings, we have time to get to know each other better." She put her hand on the wall and pushed her chest into Izuku's, pressing her soft bosom against him. "Don't you want to be close friends?"

_'SHE'S SO CLOSE TO ME!'_ Izuku screamed internally.

[You should've gotten used to this by now, brat.]

Izuku ignored Ddraig's comment. "T-Tokage-san, wait! Slow down a little!"

"You can call me Setsuna."

"A-are you sure? W-we only j-just met."

"Of course. You're gonna be my dinosaur boyfriend, so get used to it."

"W-wait, WHAT-"

"What exactly is going on here?"

The pair instantly froze at the sound of an unamused voiced before the 1-B student could go any further. Setsuna quickly let go of Izuku as they both turned around towards Rias who was standing not far from them with a hand on her hip, a dark aura surrounding her and an unpleasant expression on her face. Izuku felt heat rising and cold sweat falling from his face, realizing what the situation looked like. Setsuna didn't seem all too bothered, having an amused and mischievous smile on her face instead.

"B-Buchou! How long have you been there?!" Izuku asked.

"I was looking for you to tell you that, after what happened with the media today, all club meetings are canceled. And here I find you about to have a fling with this girl. Isn't that lovely?" Rias said.

"W-Wait! W-W-We w-weren't g-gonna have a f-f-f-f-fling or anything like that! H-Honest!" Izuku shouted, breaking away from Setsuna.

"He's right," Setsuna stated, still smiling. "I just wanted to see why Ibara, Itsuka, and Milia like him is all."

"Forget it. Do as you please!" Rias huffed, turning tail and walking away.

"Ah! Buchou! Wait!" Izuku quickly ran after her in a desperate attempt to explain.

Setsuna simply continued to watch with an amused smile. "They're both really cute, Gremory-senpai especially when she's jealous," she noted. "I wouldn't mind sharing him with them."

* * *

After a futile attempt to explain to Rias, Izuku made his way back to 1-A. 'Dinosaur boyfriend' and Rias' unamused expression were still fresh in his mind as he took his seat. He honestly didn't know how to process it all. Suddenly he remembered what else Setsuna said. _"I just wanted to see why Ibara, Itsuka, and Milia like him is all."_

He already had a feeling that Ibara liked him, but Milia and Itsuka too? But now that he thought back, there were times where Milia seemed… upset whenever he hung out with another girl, especially Rias and Ibara. As for Itsuka, he had no clue why. _'Oh, fate why do you hate me so?'_ He internally wailed. Rias, Ochako, Ibara, Milia, Itsuka, and now Setsuna. Who's next?!

"Hey, Midoriya-kun!"

Izuku was snapped out of his thoughts by a pair of floating clothes in front of him. "H-Hagakure-san, what is it?" He stuttered.

"I wanted to thank you," she told him. "When everyone started panicking, I nearly got trampled over by them." Izuku's eyes widened in shock, realizing how easy it would've been for someone to not see her trip during all that.

"Are you okay?"

Toru (probably) nodded. "Yep! After you calmed everyone down, I went straight to Recovery Girl and she fixed me right up. If you hadn't stopped everyone when you did, I would've been in big trouble."

Izuku flushed a bit, sporting a nervous smile. "Uh, i-it wasn't t-that big of a d-deal. I-I mean, I'm sure anyone would have-"

"Chu!"

Izuku stopped when he felt a soft pair of lips on his cheek. It lasted only for a second, but already his brain was going haywire, his face turning as red as Rias' hair.

Toru giggled as she began to skip away. "Thanks for being my hero!"

"Wha…" was all Izuku could mutter.

Around him, his classmates had various reactions. Some, like Iida and Kirishima, were stunned by the sudden kiss. Others, like Ochako and Tsubasa, silently glared at the invisible girl. A couple, like Tsuyu, didn't seem to give it much thought. Two of them, Kaminari and Mineta, were briefly envious of Izuku before they furiously wrote something in their notebooks. And one, Bakugo, could only stare in disbelief. _'WHAT THE FUCK!? Since when did Deku become a chick magnet?!'_

Izuku silently stared off into space, rubbing the spot where Toru kissed him just a moment ago. Rias and the other girls were not going to like this, he could already tell. Maybe he should ask Ddraig for advice…

[No way! I'm staying far away from that beehive.]

…There goes that idea.

As Izuku tried to think of a solution to his ever-growing girl problems, a teacher walked into the classroom, though it wasn't Aizawa like some expected. Ochako smiled as Mizu walked into the room.

"Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Mizushima Akari, but call me either Mizu or Ryūtō. Now, before any of you ask, not all afternoon classes were canceled after the stunt the media did earlier. So, everyone get your gym uniforms and meet me outside."

"Excuse me, Ryūtō-sensei!" Iida shot up, raising his hand high. "But what shall we be doing?"

Mizu gave him a coy smile. "You'll see…"

* * *

Class 1-A had gathered outside, in the same field where they had to do Aizawa's assessment test. Mizu stood in front. "Looks like everyone's here. Good, then let's get started, people," she said. "Today's class will cover a simple and basic but very important part, of your training: sparring."

Class 1-A collectively sweat-dropped. _'That was anti-climatic.'_

"Excuse me, sensei!" Iida raised his hand. "But how is this any different from the combat training we received from All Might?"

"Because, unlike with All Might, you won't be using your Quirks," she explained. "Having a flashy Quirk is great and all, but there will be times you can't use it effectively if you could use it at all. Let's use Ashido-chan as an example."

"Who? Me?"

Mizu nodded. "Say you were facing a hostage situation. A villain has them either on their person or in the same room. Your Quirk can be extremely dangerous, so you won't be able to use it very well or you'll risk injuring the hostage. And that's assuming the villain doesn't have a Quirk that can counter yours, like say being made of plastic or glass, or even able to produce strong bases." Mina nodded, seeing Mizu's point.

"That's why this kind of training is important," the sorcerer continued. "This is especially important for those of you who have non-combat Quirks, like Hagakure-chan or Shoji. Now then," she pulled out a box from somewhere. "Everyone come up and take a number."

Once everyone drew a number, the results were placed on a holographic board.

Match 1: Mineta Minoru vs Bakugo Katsuki

Match 2: Ashido Mina vs Yura Tsubasa

Match 3: Shoji Mezo vs Iida Tenya

Match 4: Liana Kozuki vs Tokoyami Fumikage

Match 5: Uraraka Ochako vs Kaminari Denki

Match 6: Kirishima Eijiro vs Hagakure Toru

Match 7: Sero Hanta vs Asui Tsuyu

Match 8: Aoyama Yuga vs Yaoyorozu Momo

Match 9: Jiro Kyoka vs Kido Hyde

Match 10: Midoriya Izuku vs Todoroki Shoto

Mineta began to cry, realizing who he was facing. "I'm dead."

"Alright, Mineta, Bakugo, step into the ring." The two teens did as they were told, one confidently taking one end while the other shakily took the other. "Alright, you two boys ready?" Mizu asked.

Bakugo grinned a confident smile, his gaze on Mineta. The short perv gulped loudly. He knew he wasn't going to win, even if he was sparring against someone far below Bakugo's level, like Toru. But he got into U.A. He _was_ going to get popular with girls. He _WILL_ learn Izuku's secrets to building a harem! He wasn't going to give up without a fight!

"I'm re-"

"Start!"

"-dy?" Mineta trailed off at Bakugo was already on top of him.

"DIE!"

Bakugo kicked Mineta right where it hurts so hard, the little perv slammed face-first into an adjacent wall. All of the males in the class (except for Bakugo) and a couple of girls all winced at seeing Mineta's pain.

"Well, that was fast," Mizu quipped. "Bakugo wins. Someone get Mineta to Recovery Girl. In the meantime, Ashido-chan, Yura-chan, you're up!"

* * *

"No sign of them," Monoma said as he closed the door. He and his partner, Tsuburaba, had searched nearly every floor of the building they were in. It was 1-B's turn for combat training, and he and Tsubasa were the hero team of the second match, pitted against Ibara and Milia as the villains. So far, they've wasted plenty of time just _looking _for the villains and their weapon.

"They gotta be on this floor," said Tsuburaba. "This is the only floor left-"

"…Tsuburaba?" Monoma turned around, only to gasp in shock to see that his teammate was gone. "W-Wha!? Where did-?"

Movement in the corner of his eye was all the warning Monoma would get. Milia charged forward, claws already extended. Inhaling as deep as he could, Monoma breathed out a barrier in between him and the charging devil. It wasn't strong enough to withstand Milia's attack, though, as she easily cut through it.

Monoma squeaked in fright as all ten of Milia's claws pinned him to the wall, Ibara's vines closed in.

"Sorry, Monoma," Milia said as Ibara's vines wrapped around the boy. "But this is your loss."

_["_**_Both heroes have been captured. The villain team… WINS!_**_"]_

* * *

"Alright, almost done!" Mizu clapped her hands together as Hyde and Kyoka stepped into the ring.

As Kyoka stretched a bit, Hyde said, "Sorry, I normally don't like the idea of fighting a girl, but I won't go easy."

"Same to you," Kyoka replied.

"Ready?" Mizu asked. Both replied with a nod. "Fight!"

Hyde immediately charged toward her, intent on just pushing her out of the ring. But Kyoka stood firm, planting her feet on the ground, elbows bent and her fists clenched in front of her face. Before Hyde realized what that stance was, Kyoka's right fist crashed into the bottom of his jaw. Hyde nearly but his young as he staggered back. "Agh! Damnit!"

"Boxing?" Tsubasa said in pleasant surprise.

"Oh man, that _had_ to hurt," Sero winced.

"She took a couple of lessons," Momo smiled.

"Oh, that's smart!" Izuku said. "Since her support items are on her legs, if an opponent were to get close she would need to defend herself without relying on them. That way…" Mumble, mumble, mumble.

"Aaaand, he's gone," Ochako chuckled.

"Ow…" Hyde groaned as he rubbed his jaw. _'I should know better by now to not underestimate little girls… I better make sure she won't hear that…' _Kyoka smiled confidently at him. _'Okay, let's try that again.'_

Hyde charged again, making sure not to be blindsided by a punch this time… Only for Kyoka to trip him.

Mizu sweat-dropped as she watched Hyde fall face first. _'Great at swordplay, not so much with hand to hand. Kido's going to need a LOT of work…' _"Okay, that's enough. I got what I needed," Kyoka and Hyde exited the ring, the latter trying to stop a bloody nose. "Midoriya, Todoroki-chan, you're up."

"Huh?" Izuku blinked, having snapped out of his mumble spire when Mizu called for him. Seeing that Todoroki was already heading for one end of the ring, Izuku hurried along to the other.

Once Izuku and Todoroki stood across from each other in the ring, Mizu called out. "Ready? Fight!"

Izuku quickly closed the distance between them. Todoroki raised his arms in an attempt to block whatever attack Izuku would do. Izuku, however, dropped down to the ground and, in a breakdance-like move, spun and kicked Todoroki's feet out from underneath him.

Before the duel-toned teen could fall to the ground, Izuku got back up, grabbed Todoroki's hand, and then threw him out of the ring.

"Whoa! Nice moves, Midori!" Mina cheered along with everyone else.

"One of the best performances yet," said Mizu as she clapped. "That's it for today. Take what you saw here today and use that to improve. Whether you won or not doesn't matter, what does is what you learned from them."

At that, the class began to head back to their homeroom. Izuku was about to join them when he noticed that Todoroki hadn't gotten up yet. "You okay, Todoroki-kun?" He asked.

"I'm fine," he replied. "I'll catch up."

Izuku nodded before leaving. As the green-haired devil left, Todoroki looked at his left hand. For a brief moment, when Izuku knocked him down, he felt heat coming from it. _'I nearly broke my vow, again. I was right… He is someone to look out for.'_ He clenched his hand, determined not to lose to him again. So then, why did his chest feel so warm?

**AN:**

**Okay, I guess I was lying when I said that this chapter would mostly be about 1-A doing sparing and 1-B doing the battle trials. Everything else kinda took more space then I expected.**

**And yep, Ravel transferred schools months earlier than she did in canon. Wonder how that will affect the plot? And yes, Aika is here at U.A. and a Business Course student (and was the one who indirectly planted the idea of nude encounters in Ibara's head). I get the feeling that she and Mineta would quickly become Sitcom Archenemies.**

**Obviously Setsuna would be interested in Izuku here since he really is part dragon, which scientists suggest were partly based on dinosaur bones. ****The scene with Izuku and Setsuna was inspired by fanart done by SuperPartyCat on deviantART. Look up "Izuku x Setsuna Tokage" in his gallery if you're interested.**

**And what's this? Liana seems to have caught on that Izuku doesn't have a Quirk. She's one smart cookie, though that's not surprising considering who her dad is, which some of you have figured out. I won't say who, though. Not yet.**

**Anyway, that's it for now. See you next year. PLUS ULTRA!**


	23. Encounter

**AN:**

**Happy new year, everyone! I hope you plan to stay true to your new year's resolutions. And sorry that this chapter was a little late, I was busy playing ****_Persona 5_**** for the first time (in preparation for ****_Persona 5 Royal_****), ****_Star Wars: Fallen Order_****, ****_Pokémon Sword _****and****_ Pokémon Shield_**** (got them for Christmas, and man are they ****_addicting_****).**

**Anyway, Joe021 on AO3 asked a rather interesting question: Who would be the VAs of my OCs (both Japanese and English). So I decided to give a little list here.**

**Milia Takamaki: Misato Fukuen (Japanese), Cristina Vee**** (English****)**

**Mizushima "Mizu" Akari | Ryūtō: Sayaka Ohara**** (Japanese****), Erica Lindbeck (English)**

**Liana Kozuki: Junko Minagawa (Japanese), Cherami Leigh (English)**

**If I ever decided to do character pages, I'll give more details then.**

* * *

The walk back to the Midoriya apartment was quiet. Rias hadn't spoken at all during the entire train ride there. Izuku was worried that she was still mad at him about Setsuna, even though he couldn't understand how that was his fault. They had just left the station a few minutes ago when Rias suddenly stopped. "Hey, Izu-kun?"

"Uh, yeah?"

Rias turned toward him, an apologetic look on her face. "…I'm sorry about earlier. Thinking back now, you're not the type to do something like that."

Izuku smiled as he nodded. "I-It's okay."

Ochako and Ibara looked between the two quizzically. "What's this about?" Ibara asked.

"O-Oh! It was nothing!" Izuku denied, blushing as the memory of how close Setsuna was to him came back.

"I found him being on the receiving end of a girl's affections," Rias answered. Izuku lost all color as Ibara and Ochako's eyes widened in shock.

"What?! Who?" The two girls demanded.

"…T-Tokage-san…" Izuku admitted.

Ibara gasped. "Setsuna-san?"

"You know her?" Rias asked.

Ibara nodded. "She's in my class."

"Y-Yeah, she d-did mention you." _'Along with Takamaki and Kendo.'_ Izuku mentally added.

"Unbelievable," Ochako huffed. "And here I thought that kiss you got earlier was the worst of it."

"Kiss? What kiss?" Rias demanded.

"Well, before we started our heroics class, Hagakure-san kissed Izu-kun on the cheek as thanks for what he did during lunch." Izuku's eyes widened when Ochako said that.

"…Is that right?" Rias silently glared at Izuku, as did Ibara and Ochako.

_'__Oh crap…'_

[It was nice knowing you, brat.]

_'__Ddraig! Help!'_

When the dragon didn't response, Izuku began to pale. He needed to get out of this. Fast! "U-Uh, I-I'm s-s-sorry i-if you're o-offended. I-Is t-there a-anything I c-can d-d-do t-to m-m-make it up to y-you?"

Rias let her gaze soften. "Actually, yes," Izuku breathed a sigh of relief. "There's something I want to get."

"R-Really? What?" Izuku asked.

Rias just snickered and smiled as she pressed her fingers over her lips, "You'll see. As for where we're going…" Rias' smile widened. "Well, you'll just have to pick me up tomorrow after school to find out."

"Uh… sure!" Izuku nodded quickly before he blinked. "W-Wait, when you say 'pick me up', you mean like… a d-d-date?"

"Not like a date," Rias said, her smile widening, "A _date_."

Izuku audibly gulped, blushing brightly. Ibara and Ochako watch with jealous glares. Ochako then whispered something in Ibara's ear, who nodded. Izuku dreaded what they were planning.

* * *

"Ow, damnit…" A certain Kido Hyde groaned as he walked home. The apartment where he lived at was within walking distance from U.A., so he wasn't in any rush like everyone else to get home. That, and he enjoyed the walk. It gave him time to think.

Usually.

"Jiro is a lot tougher than she looks. I should've known better, considering some of the people I know."

"Indeed."

Hyde stopped, sighed, and then leaned against a tree. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough," the voice said. "That was an embarrassment, losing in such a way in the sorcerer's class."

"Nobody asked you," Hyde deadpanned. "Find any new info on our 'employer'?"

A shadow moved within the tree's branches. To anyone else, they would assume it was a bird or some other animal. In reality, it was a human, around the same age as Hyde, maybe a little younger. "No. I have been unable to determine his identity, or why he wants us to work together like this."

"Nothing? I thought you were an assassin, Seth."

"I am. If I so wanted to, I could just simply cut both you and your entire class down without anyone knowing… But this is a delicate situation. We both wish to save the Princess of the Night Blade from her fate, but if what he says is true…"

"It's a chance we gotta take," Hyde looked up at the sky, the orange hue it had reminding him when this all started for him. "Still, I don't trust this guy. Not one bit."

"Neither do I," said Seth. "I will continue to investigate him. In the meantime, you focus on getting stronger."

"Already planned on that," Hyde retorted. "By the way, did you see who was responsible for destroying the gate earlier?"

"No," Seth answered. "Whoever it was hid among the reporters, and then stepped away before I could arrive."

Hyde sighed. "It was with a shot," he continued on his way.

Seth watched from the tree before he disappeared into the shadows. It had occurred to him that, true to his threat, he could easily kill Hyde and take the Insulator. Yet, if this man truly had a way to break the curse without killing her, then he should see it through… for now.

* * *

Izuku paced around in his room, his anxiety for his _date_ with Rias tomorrow starting to overwhelm him. It had been the only thing on his mind since they got home. It was like with Raynare all over again, only this time he knew he wasn't going to die… at least not at Rias' hand.

[Calm down!] Ddraig demanded. [If you keep this up, you'll have a heart attack.]

"Ddraig, what do I do?!" Izuku demanded. "I mean, this will be the second official date I've ever been on. Wait, does that date with Raynare even count? She did kill me. Oh, god! What if she- AGH!" Izuku hunched over as pain hit his head.

Ddraig let out a deep sigh. [Calm down. Just… be you. Anyway, get some sleep. You'll need it.]

Izuku still wanted to ask him more questions, but complied and went to bed. Thoughts of what Rias had planned flooded his mind, from the innocent to the… not so subtle. Blushing bright red at his own thoughts, Izuku slipped into unconsciousness. Had he stayed awake a moment more, he would've heard the sound of his door opening, and three figures, cloaked in shadow, approaching his bed. Unnoticed, the intruders slipped into his bed, wrapping their arms around the sleeping teen.

* * *

_"__A tiger has been spotted in the residential districts of Yokohama. Eyewitnesses claim it gave off an ethereal blue glow and moved as fast as lightning. Authorities have already dispatched both police and heroes to search for the tiger, but currently, there are no leads on where the tiger is or where it came from."_ Inko hummed softly to herself, listening to the news as she prepared breakfast.

She had gotten up earlier than normal and, noticing that Izuku and the girls were still asleep, decided to get started on breakfast before they head out for the day. _"And now for today's top story: yet another disappearance has been reported in Kanzakai. Seven people have now vanished within the quiet town without a trace. Local police and heroes are under pressure to determine who or what is responsible."_

"How scary. Kanzakai is only a few hours away…" Inko turned the television off as she placed the five plates on the table, before going down to Izuku's door. She already checked on the girls, only to find their beds empty. They were likely already doing their morning training. Izuku's door, however, was still closed. A sign he was still in bed. _'He must've forgotten to set his alarm,'_ she thought as she knocked on the door. "Izuku, are you up yet? Breakfast is ready!" She didn't bother to wait for an answer, twisting the knob and opening the door. And what she found in his room was something she wasn't prepared for.

* * *

Izuku groaned as the sun's rays woke him. "So heavy…" He grumbled quietly and turned over to his side, his arm reaching out to nothing under the covers.

_*Squeeze*_

He flinched, feeling the sensation of something warm, soft, and round in the palm of his hand. Izuku's eyes snapped open, finding the sleeping face of a nude Rias in front of him. He nearly screamed in shock, realizing that his right hand was currently groping her left breast. He quietly tried to get up, only to find a sleeping Ibara on his other side. And on top of him he found Ochako, sleeping soundly with a bliss smile. They too were nude.

"W-W-W-W-W-What!?" He gasped. He was trapped, surrounded on all sides by the sleeping girls, his brain going into overdrive to rationalize why they were in his bed and how they got in without him noticing. Yet he quietly admitted to himself that Rias' breast was just so soft yet firm. He began to wonder if Ochako's or Ibara's breasts were just as-

_'__NO! STOP BRAIN! STOP~!'_

Ddraig was oddly silent during this.

As Izuku's mind began to meltdown, the girls all groaned quietly, slowly waking up. "Grrm… good morning, Izuku-san," Ibara greeted, stretching out her arms.

"Good morning," Rias yawned tiredly.

"Mmm… Morning," Ochako tiredly rubbed her eye.

"G-Good morning," a stuttering Izuku nodded. Rias he already knew slept nude, but Ibara and Ochako? Since when do they do that?! "W-W-Why a-are y-y-you all i-in my b-bed? N-N-N-N-N-N…"

Ochako and Ibara, realizing why he was stuttering, blushed and covered themselves. Rias, however, smiled. "You like what you see, Izu?"

"Huh?" Izuku hadn't noticed that his eyes were wandering slightly, gazing at their exposed racks and thighs. Rias did, though, and she liked it.

"To answer your question, I caught Ochako and Ibara sneaking into your room last night," she quietly looked at the two girls in question. "Apparently they wanted to sleep with you as a way to pay me back for our date later." Izuku's eyes widened. He had completely forgotten about that. "So I decided to join them. When they saw that I slept nude they decided to do so as well. By the way, what time is it?"

Ochako glanced over at Izuku's All Might alarm clock. "6:53?!"

"We slept in?" Ibara asked.

"Izuku, did you forget to set your alarm?" Rias asked him.

_'__I had a lot on my mind last night!' _He wanted to retort, but a sudden knock on the door made him stop, followed by a voice from the other side.

"Izuku, are you up yet? Breakfast is ready!" Before he could make any attempt to answer or even try to run to the door, the knob twisted and opened up. His mother stood at the doorway and instantly saw three naked girls in bed with him. Izuku's pupils shrank and his face turned bright red, realizing how it must look like. Ibara's face became bright red and looked down in embarrassment with Ochako doing the same, covering her face with her hands to hide her embarrassment. Rias didn't seem to mind, though.

Inko stood quietly, her eyes lidded in a deadpan face and her mouth slightly agape. "G…good morning," she greeted in a lazy tone. "Izuku, please get dressed. I'd like to have a word with you about this." She said nothing more as she slowly closed the door.

For a moment, Izuku could only lay there, dumbfounded. He just wanted to die now.

[…Huh, wha? What'd I miss?] Ddraig snorted, apparently having been asleep.

Izuku hung his head low. _'Nothing much. Just the beginning of the end of my life is all…'_

* * *

The girls got dressed quickly in their school uniforms and sat on the living room sofa. Izuku himself was also dressed in his U.A. uniform and was standing before his mother. The woman in question stood by with an impassive look on her face. She was very quiet, taken to uncomfortable levels, as she looked at Izuku, then the girls, then at Izuku again. She held her hands at her hips, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath to cool her nerves.

"Izuku…"

"I can explain!" Izuku screeched, only for Inko to place a finger on his lips, silencing him. He flinched at the glare Inko was giving him.

Once Inko removed her finger she continued. "Izuku… my baby boy… Are you a sexual deviant!?"

"Wh-What!? No! I-!"

Inko then exploded. "WHAT DID YOU DO LAST NIGHT, HUH!? THREE NAKED GIRLS CUDDLING WITH YOU IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT? WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? ANSWER ME!" Inko shouted in a quick panic.

"Mom! I know how it looks but it's not what you think!"

"WHICH ONE MADE YOU DO IT!? WHICH ONE TOOK YOUR PURITY!? DID THEY HYPNOTIZE YOU WITH THEIR BOOBS!?"

Izuku was taken aback as the girls all looked to the ground with large blushes. "No! We didn't do anything! I SWEAR!"

Inko looked ready to yell something else when, thankfully, Rias intervened. "Inko, can I interject for a minute?" She spoke up. Inko stayed quiet while Izuku silently thanked his master, "It was our choice to sleep in bed with Izuku. We didn't mean to cause any problems."

Inko looked over at Rias with an arched eyebrow. "And you didn't do anything last night?" Rias and the other girls shook their heads. Sighting in relief, Inko continued. "I suppose you're telling the truth, otherwise I would've heard," Izuku and the girls all blushed. "If you girls wish to sleep with him, then I suppose it's fine. He's 15 and it's normal for boys his age to experiment and fool around with girls he likes. But when a mother sees her son in bed with a naked girl, let alone three, she's expected to freak out."

Izuku sighed in relief. It looked like the crisis had been averted for now. "Thanks, mom. Anyway, we should eat and get ready for school, so-" He turned around and tried to leave, but a quick grip on his shoulder froze him in place.

"Not so fast, young man. There is one more thing I still need to do," Inko said, a strained smile on her face, "Girls, once you finish eating, could you all go wait outside for a moment? I'm not quite finished talking with my son." The trio of young women looked at her oddly but nodded.

Once breakfast was finished the three girls grabbed their school bags and waited outside. Once she was sure they were gone, Inko could now say what she needed privately. "Izuku?"

"Y-yes?" Izuku began, a scared look in his eyes.

"While I don't mind the fact that you have several girlfriends…"

"They're not my-!"

Inko silenced him once again before continuing. "In fact, I'm thrilled, as it gives me the chance to have lots of grandbabies to spoil," she either didn't see or ignored the mortified look on her son's face. "That said, there are still things you need to learn about courtship before then," Inko told him, her dry smile still plastered on her face.

"W-W-What d-does t-t-that m-m-m-mean?" Izuku asked nervously.

"It's time you and I finally had 'The Talk'," Inko said creepily. "I hope you're ready for a crash course in Sex-Ed."

* * *

It was about a thirty-minute wait as the girls stood on in the walkway in front of the apartment, wondering what Izuku and his mother were doing. Their thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening, and they all looked to see Izuku stepping out of the house, looking haggard.

"Sorry for… making you… wait…" Izuku groaned, leaning against the railing.

"Your mother must've tired you out, huh?" Rias asked, looking worried.

"Izuku-san, what happened?" Ibara questioned.

Izuku looked up at them. His face was very pale and his eyes were wide, almost as if he saw something he wasn't meant to know. "My mom… crammed all the Sex-Ed info… she could into my head. She wasn't going to let me go until she was sure I had everything," he answered.

"That doesn't sound too bad," Ochako said.

"She was very graphic and descriptive about it. _Very _graphic and descriptive. And she said that she wasn't finished yet," Izuku sighed. "The only reason she let me go was because we have school."

Rias gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry," she said. "I would've altered her memories, but she didn't give me a chance. If you want I can change her memory so that we're at least dressed."

Izuku shook his head. "No, it's too late," he said. "Let's just get to school."

* * *

"Listen, heroes, you'd better not come after me, because if you do, I'm killing this little family here," A giant pink Villain stated, holding three civilians as hostages. The heroes he was talking to, Mt. Lady, Kamui Woods, and Death Arms, were a few meters away from him, panting out of breath from fighting the Villain.

"**It's fine now, family! MISSOURI SMASH!**"

All Might dashed right past the Villain from behind and karate chopped him in the head, instantly knocking him out while securing the family to safety. "**Why? Because I AM HERE… on my way to work!**"

"YEEEAAHHH!" the crowd cheered their favorite hero enthusiastically.

"We appreciate it but…" Mount Lady spoke with a depressed tone.

"He'll put us out of business," Kamui bemoaned in a lamenting fashion.

"Thank you, Sir," a Police officer on the scene saluted as his five colleagues slowly dragged the unconscious Villain to a secure van. "Even the Heroes were having trouble with that one."

"**Happy to help good sir!**" All Might saluted back. "**Now, I mustn't be late for school.**"

Before anything else was said, All Might heard a scream in the distance.

"KYAAA a hit and run!"

"**Nezu will have my hide for being late, but…**" All Might launched himself into the air.

As he flew through the air, he noticed something. _'_**_Am I… getting slower?_**_' _He glanced at his hand mid-flight._ '_**_Ever since I forced myself last year, the time I can spend in this form has gradually become shorter. Still… I have to last. I need to find a successor soon._**_'_

His thoughts drifted to Nighteye's pupil. _'_**_I am proud that Young Togata turned down the offer, despite Nighteye's insistence. Still, if that tip Tsukauchi received is true, if he IS still out there, I must be ready to face him if he comes back before I can find a successor!_**_'_ All Might thought in the time it took him to reach the fleeing vehicle and smashed the engine so it would be unable to go any further.

"I heard there was a hostage crisis the next town over!" a person on the footpath spoke, looking at their phone.

"**Hmm!**" All Might wanted to sigh, but a Heroes duty to the civilians must come first. _'_**_Aizawa's gonna chew my ear off for this…_**_'_ With that last unappealing thought, All Might headed in the direction of the next town over.

* * *

It was just after a relatively short lunch that the class was seated before Aizawa's bored form. "Now for today's Basic Hero Training. It'll be different from usual," Aizawa began. "Due to the incident with the media yesterday, it was decided that classes 1-A and 1-B will be working together, under the supervision of four instructors: All Might, Vlad King, me and a fourth you will meet at the training grounds."

"Um, what're we gonna be doing exactly?" Sero asked, raising an arm.

"Preparing your disaster relief skills, you'll be dealing with natural disasters," here Aizawa pulled out a white care with the word 'RESCUE' written on. "It's time to move on to more in-depth Rescue Training."

"Rescue… Looks like it'll be a lot of work this time, too." Kaminari said.

"Right?" Mina agreed with him.

"Now _this _is the duty of a Hero! My arms are ready to rumble!" Kirishima was fired up.

"No one can beat me in water, kero." Tsuyu said as she too anticipated the rescue training.

"Hey, I'm not done," Aizawa glared lightly at the chatting students. "It's up to each of you whether or not you wear your costumes, as some of them may be ill-suited to this activity." He pressed a button and the student's briefcases slid out from the wall panels. "The training sight is a bit of a way's from here, so we'll be traveling by bus." He looked back to the class who were still seated. "That's all, get ready." With that, he turned and walked out the door. The students got up from their chairs and began to prepare to head to rescue training.

* * *

As Class 1-A walked out after changing into their costumes. As they did so, Ochako noticed something. "Izu-kun, where's your costume?" She asked. He was wearing a gym uniform.

"It's still being repaired by the Support Department," Izuku answered. "Someone name Hatsume is in charge of it, but I haven't heard anything from them yet."

"Aww~, I wanted to see it," the unmistakable voice of Setsuna caused Izuku to flinch. She, along with Ibara, Itsuka, and Milia were walking up to them.

Itsuka wore a blue knee-length qipao, with a black double-breasted corset that ended just below her bust, with short black spats underneath, a brown utility belt, a satchel attached to her back, a thin black domino mask around her eyes and white-heeled navy blue boots.

As for Setsuna, she wore a blue scaly mask over her eyes, a bodysuit with a matching design and black knee-high boots, while her hands were covered in fingerless gloves with wrist guards and a belt around her waist decorated with a jewel in its center.

Milia's costume was surprisingly modest… for a succubus. It consisted of a dark leotard mixed with a purple dress, a dark purple cloak over it. She also had black boots, two brown fanny packs, and her glasses were replaced by a mask that resembled bat wings.

"I hope they don't change it too much," Mina suddenly pop up at Izuku's side, leaning onto his shoulder. "But if they do, I hope they make it skintight!"

Izuku blushed in response, "A-Ashido-san…"

"Uh, uh, uh!" she wagged her finger side to side, "My name is Mina! Miiinaaa~! You should use it, cutie!"

"C-c-c…!" Izuku started to stammer, his earlier blush turning up to eleven, his freckles standing out starkly as his brain seemed to overheat.

"By the way, how's my costume? Pretty hot, huh?" She asked. The pink-skinned teen made extra sure to push her chest forward, showing off her cleavage.

Izuku looked away, hiding his burning red face as he stuttered. "I-I-I-I c-can't a-a-an-answer that!"

"Aww~, why not?" Mina faked whined.

"BECAUSE REASONS!" He yelled, getting the attention of some of the other students.

* * *

Izuku had a good reason to not answer. In the halls a few floors above the ground, Rias Gremory silently glared at the gathered students. Specifically, the pink-skinned girl who was _far_ to close to Izuku for her liking. "Uh, Rias? You okay?" Kudelia hesitantly approached the red-haired devil.

"It's rare to see her so worked up," Sona commented. "She must _really _like Midoriya."

Rias ignored the presence of her friends, her gaze focused solely on the pink-skinned girl flirting with _her_ servant!

Sona sighed before looking at the boy of Rias' affections. She had to admit, he had a certain… appeal.

* * *

Ibara, Ochako, Milia, Itsuka, and Setsuna all silently glared at Mina. But before they could say or do anything…

"Kendo, stop being friendly with Class 1-A." Monoma stride up to them, wearing a tuxedo with several clocks around his waist. Izuku recognized him from when he went to Bespi Tower. "They're our enemies because they think they are better than us since they're in Class A but we know that they are nothing but a bunch of-"

*CHOP!*

Whatever mocking words he was going to say was cut short by Itsuka's karate chop. "This is the second time this week, Monoma. You better not make it a habit."

As Itsuka dragged Monoma to 1-B's bus, Milia could only watch in envy at Ochako and Ibara talking with Izuku. She was just so far behind them that she…

A hand was suddenly on her shoulder. "Oh, relax, Milia," Celica cheerfully said. Her hero costume consists of a plain, long-sleeved, white shirt with golden rimming across the collar and sides, with black and gold cuffs. The costume also consists of a frilled black mini-skirt with a golden line crossing it horizontally. The skirt itself barely reaches her thighs and is held in place by a small gold buckle. Finishing the costume's look, Celica also had a black cape with golden lining that reaches to her back, a pink witch's hat, and brown running shoes. "You'll get your chance, soon."

Milia looked to the Pawn, nodding and smiling. She was right. Her chance with Izuku will come soon. She just had to be patient.

The students from the hero course started to introduce themselves to each other. Several friendships rapidly formed between them, due to sharing personal interests or having similar Quirks. "All right, everyone get to your assigned buses now!" Aizawa ordered. The students did as ordered, and soon they were heading to their location, eager to learn more about being heroes.

* * *

Izuku gave a quick mention of the bus's open layout as his fellow classmates arrived, allowing them to take any seats they pleased. Aizawa had sat up the back while the rest of the class sat towards the front, Izuku ending up between Tsuyu and Hyde.

"So it was this type of bus huh?" Mina smirked across from Izuku.

"It does explain why you said for us to sit anywhere," Iida nodded, sitting next to Mina.

"Still, we're kinda sitting randomly," Tsubasa, sitting in the back with Liana, said.

"Does it matter? I mean we're all classmates," Hyde pointed out.

"True that," Kirishima nodded in agreement.

"You know I generally speak my mind right Midoriya-chan," Tsuyu started off, tilting her head to look at her green-haired seat-mate.

"Um, yes, Asui-san?"

"Call me Tsuyu-chan."

"R-Right… my bad," Izuku apologized.

"Your Quirk is a little odd. You can increase your own power, but also turn into a dragon, like Ryukyu's?" Tsuyu bluntly said.

"Uh, well, yeah, I guess it kinda is like her's," Izuku muttered. "I can double my power, but only once every ten-seconds. So there are limits."

"Wait, doubled power every ten-seconds?! That's crazy!" said Kirishima. "That's nothing like my Hardening. I'm good in a fight sure, but otherwise, it's really boring." With the sound of splitting concrete, Kirishima's arm took on it's customary sharp, rocky form as he activated his Quirk.

"Not at all, I think that it's a great Quirk," Izuku grinned. "More than enough to go Pro."

"Ya think? I mean I don't think it's the type of Quirk that'll have popular appeal," Kirishima grimaced.

"It is something that I needn't worry about." Aoyama took this moment to speak. "My Navel Laser is both strong and cool. Perfect for a Pro."

"Yeah, that's if ya can avoid blowing up your stomach." Mina grinned, placing her hand on the glittering Hero-in-Training's shoulder. The group held in a snicker at the pasty look that overcame Aoyama's face.

"Still though, if any of us have Pro Quirks, besides Midoriya it be Todoroki and Bakugo." Kirishima cast a glance to the back of the bus at where the mentioned two were sitting. The explosive blonde gave the group in front of him a mild glare and a 'tch' before resuming to ignore them until…

"Quirk aside, Bakugo's so unhinged that he'll never be popular," Tsuyu bluntly stated.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU SAY, FROG FACE!? I'LL KILL YOUR ASS!" Bakugo slammed his hands own on the guard in front of him as he stood up and glared toward Tsuyu.

"See?" Tsuyu bluntly stated as she pointed back to the caustic teen, her point proven.

"It's sad that one of the things that's become obvious over the first week with you is that you've made it abundantly clear that your personality is of a turd getting steamed in a sewer," Kaminari smirked.

"What the hell kinda vocabulary is that?!" Bakugo snarled at the blonde.

[Surprised that Bakugo is the one getting teased in school, now?]

_'__Yeah,'_ Izuku nodded. _'It's certainly a new sight,'_ Izuku laughed to himself as the bus began to slow down.

"Look sharp, we're here." Aizawa was already at the front of the bus, stepping out while ordering the students out. They all got off the bus to see a large dome building before seeing someone in a large space suit waiting for them.

"Hello everyone, I've been waiting for you!" declared the person in the spacesuit.

"Oh my gosh, it's the Space Hero: Thirteen!" Ochako gushed, "She's my favorite hero!"

"The gentleman hero who does his best work in rescue scenarios!" Izuku added.

"A true gentleman indeed," Jurato nodded.

They were swiftly led into the domed building to see so many variations of rescue training areas, all built to simulate real-time disasters. "It looks like Universal Studio Japan!" Kirishima and Tetsutetsu both yelled.

"A Flood Zone, a Landslide Zone, a Conflagration Zone, a Flood Zone, and more! Every disaster and accident you can imagine," said Thirteen. "I built this facility myself, I call it… the 'Unforeseen Simulation Joint'."

_'…__So it really is USJ.' _Was the prevailing thought amongst the students.

"Thirteen, where's All Might? He's supposed to be here," Class 1-A's homeroom teacher asked.

"Ah, about that…" Thirteen held up three fingers before continuing in a lower voice. "It seems that he overdid it on hero work on the way here and he already reached his limit. He's currently resting at the lounge back at U.A."

Aizawa sighed.

"That fool. He should know better than that." Vlad King said in a whisper tone.

"Well, there's nothing we can do now. We just got to start the training without him." Aizawa whispered as the two heroes agreed.

"Before we do, I have one or two points to make," Thirteen held up two fingers, before raising two others. "Or three, maybe four… five… six… seven…"

The students sweat-dropped. _'So a lot of points?'_

"Everyone, I am sure you are aware of my Quirk, Black Hole. I can suck up anything and turn it to dust." Thirteen said as she explained her Quirk.

"You've been able to use that Quirk to save people from all kinds of disasters, right?" Izuku asked.

"Yes, but it is a power that can easily kill. Some of you also have Quirks like that, right?" Thirteen asked back. None of the students answered, but many silently said 'yes'. "In a superhuman society, personal Quirks have been certified and stringently regulated, so that doesn't seem to be a problem at first glance. However, please do not forget that there are many Quirks that can easily kill with one wrong step. With All Might's combat training, I think you have experienced the danger of using those powers against others. This class is a fresh start. You shall learn how to use your Quirks to save people's lives. You do not have powers so you can harm others. I hope you leave here with the understanding that you have powers in order to help others. That is all. Thank you for listening." Thirteen finished her speech with a bow.

The students clapped at her speech.

"This is why Thirteen is my favorite hero!" Ochako clapped enthusiastically.

"Bravo! Good sir, bravo!" Iida was perhaps a little too enthusiastic.

"So manly…" Kirishima and Tetsutetsu cried manly tears.

It was now Aizawa's turn to speak. "Alright, let's get started. First-"

But before he could finish his sentence, the various lights and electricity went off. Both classes and the teachers looked around in surprise. "What happened to the lights?" Milia asked.

Suddenly, a purplish portal appeared in the middle of the USJ. A feeling of dread filled both Aizawa and Vlad as they turned around. Exiting from the portal, they could see a face, covered in a dismembered hand.

"Gather up and don't move!" Aizawa shouted, scaring the students.

"Do as he says!" Vlad roared as he readied his fists. "Thirteen, protect the students!"

Seeing their defensive nature, some of the students looked out into the central plaza to see what had made them act this way.

"What is that?" Itsuka asked.

More figures exited the portal, flooding the area from the mist, each with unique Quirks that made them stand out in one or another way. The most prominent ones being a giant humanoid whose brain was visible, and a large figure wearing a gray cloak, both standing next to the man with the hands.

"Is this like the Entrance Exam? Did the training already start?" Kirishima asked.

"I thought we were doing rescue training?" Monoma said.

"DON'T MOVE!" Vlad commanded as Aizawa put on his yellow goggles.

"Aizawa-sensei, what's going on?" Izuku asked.

"Those are villains…" Aizawa replied.

This student's eyes widened in shock.

* * *

"I don't see him, bossman," the large man in the cloak said.

"Neither do I," the dark mist turned into a vaguely humanoid shape. "The only heroes I see are Eraserhead, Thirteen, and Vlad King. There are also more students than expected. Perplexing. According to the schedule we retrieved, All Might should be here, and Class 1-B should still be at the main building."

"We did give them a pretty good scare earlier," the man with the hands said. "Guess it makes sense that they changed the schedule a little in response. As for All Might, he might just be late. Killing a few kids might summon him faster."

* * *

Aizawa's binding cloth furiously unraveled as the last of the villains stumbled through the black fog. Thirteen stepped in front of the shocked students, keeping vigilance over them as Aizawa and Vlad King prepared for battle. "Villains attacking U.A. not even a _day_ after the media forced their way in," Vlad muttered.

"Then yesterday's breach must've been _their_ doing…" Aizawa muttered.

"But why would Villains break in here!?" Kirishima shouted.

"Yeah, who'd be stupid enough to sneak into a school for heroes?" added Tetsutetsu.

"Sensei!" Itsuka addressed to Thirteen, wiggling her way to the front of the two classes. "Doesn't the USJ have trespasser sensors?"

"We do, but…"

"If the sensors are not responding, then one of their Quirks must be responsible for it," Liana said. "An isolated part of the campus during a scheduled class… they planned this meticulously."

"That means they have some sort of goal in mind," said Todoroki, his tone not even remotely affected by the sudden appearance of villains.

"And since we're isolated away from the main campus," continued Monoma, his usual sarcastic and flamboyant speech absent for once. "That means nobody knows what's happening here. Quite smart for a bunch of fools."

"Thirteen! Begin evacuation," barked Aizawa. "If they're jamming the sensors, then most likely they're jamming communications. The Quirk is either an electrical-based one or radio wave-based. Kaminari, try to contact the school with your Quirk."

"S-Sir!" Kaminari obeyed.

"Class Reps, organize your classes. Make sure you keep a headcount on everyone," warned Vlad King.

"You can't fight all of them by yourselves!" Izuku exclaimed.

"Yeah, we can help out!" Hyde added.

"Hmph, don't underestimate us pros," Aizawa smirked. "No good hero is just a one-trick pony."

"Reminds me of our student days," Vlad smirked. "Now that I think back, we're _still_ even in our spars. Wanna use this as a tie-breaker?"

"This isn't the time, Kan," Aizawa reprimanded. "…And as a reminder, I'm leading at 51." Aizawa jumped down the stairs.

"Why that-!" Vlad quickly followed after his colleague.

* * *

"Shooting squad, let's go!" grinned a Villain with gun barrels for fingers.

"Didn't our intel say it was just gonna be All Might and Thirteen? Why's Vlad King here? And who's that hobo?" A female Villain with long grey hair floating upwards stated as she and the rest of the observed Aizawa charging ahead of Vlad.

"Don't recognize 'im. But if they think they can take us down then they're dead!" Another Villain stated as they got ready to kill the two pros.

Aizawa responded by activating his Quirk as his eyes turned blood red and stared at all the Villains in his line of sight. One of the villains tried to shoot from his fingertips, but found his Quirk not working, "Huh? My Quirk!"

The other two villains were having similar issues, Aizawa having erased their Quirks. They didn't have time to understand what was happening when Aizawa wrapped capture cloth. With a swift tug, all three of them flew right into each other above Aizawa's head, knocking each other out.

"Idiots! That's Eraserhead!" A random Villain shouted. "He can erase Quirks just by looking at you!"

"Erase? Bet you can't erase mutation-type Quirks like mine, can ya!" A large Villain with multiple arms around his body said as he charged at Aizawa.

"Yeah, I can't," Aizawa replied, easily dodging the attacker's first strike and punching him square in the face. "But the skill of guys like you…" Suddenly, the capture cloth shot out and wrapped itself around the Villain's leg as Eraserhead dodged a second punch and he countered with a kick. "…are statistically better suited for close combat…"

Pulling from the cloth, the multi-armed Villain was sent flying against a crowd of goons, throwing the group to the ground and taking them out of combat. "…so I've taken measures against that," Aizawa said confidently as he easily manhandled what were clearly the cannon fodder minions.

A group of four Villains tried to attack him from the back, but Vlad intercepted them and in two swings managed to knock them out, his punches so hard and fast that one's face was not enough to stop them. "Got you!" A burly looking Villain shouted as he tried to punch Vlad, only for him to easily catch the fist with one hand. Suddenly, blood came gushing out of his gauntlet, ensnaring the Villain's hand.

**Kan Sekijiro AKA Vlad King, Quirk: Blood Control. He can control his own blood once it leaves his body.**

"Eww, let me go!" struggled the villain.

Vlad's response was to roar and using the villain as a bat, knocking several others before spinning and tossing him away. The poor Villain landed at the feet of the apparent leader of the invading Villains.

"Nomu, get rid of him." Stated the leader.

Nomu squawked and kicked the villain away.

"Shigaraki Tomura, please do not throw whomever we gather like that," sighed the Mist Villain.

"Not like it matters Kurogiri," the Villain in the cloak grunted. "There are plenty more where he came from. Now hurry up and cut me loose. I'm starving!" His voice practically oozed in anticipation and excitement.

"Not yet," Shigaraki scolded. "We need to see what these pros can do first. In the meantime…" he looked up the stairs. The students were already running back toward the exit. "Kurogiri, take care of the children."

* * *

Back with the students, they were awed by the fact Aizawa and Vlad can hold their own against all those Villains. "Guess they aren't Pro's for nothing," Izuku muttered, impressed before shaking his head. "No time for analysis." He turned to join the rest of the students.

The group of forty students, led by Thirteen, were now reaching the exit, but as they did a purple mist appeared in front of them, allowing the Villain to appear. "I'm afraid I cannot allow you to leave, dear students." The looming vortex compress into Kurogiri.

_'__In a blink of the eye he appeared in front of us from the Central Plaza,'_ thought Thirteen. _'He may just be the most dangerous one here.'_

"Greetings, we are the League of Villains," Kurogiri introduced in a polite manner. "Forgive our audacity and impertinence, but we have come to U.A. High, the most hallowed bastion of Heroism in Japan for a simple task." Here he locked eyes with a few of the students and Thirteen. "To end the life of All Might, the Symbol of Peace. Though it appears he's not in class at the moment. Still, my role remains unchanged."

As Kurogiri monologued, Thirteen flipped out one of her finger caps, preparing to use her Quirk. However, Bakugo, Kirishima, and Tetsutetsu all rushed Kurogiri. Kirishima hardened his fist, Tetsutetsu steeled his, and together the boys aimed for Kurogiri's head while Bakugo had both hands out and blasted the bottom.

"Ha, didn't expect us to take you out first, did ya?" Kirishima taunted.

"Yeah, take that!" Tetsutetsu said, high-fiving Kirishima.

"Oh dear, that was dangerous…" everyone gasped as the smoke cleared, revealing an unharmed Kurogiri. "You certainly live up to your school's reputation."

"Students, move out of the way now!" Thirteen yelled, her finger pointed towards Kurogiri, but it was too late.

"But now it's time for me to scatter you to meet my comrades… and your deaths!" Kurogiri yelled, enveloping both classes with his dark mist. Iida grabbed whoever was nearest to him and ran out of the mist, which were Ochako and Komuri. Shoji grabbed Yuga, Mina, and Tsuburaba, as they were closest to him, and managed to anchor himself into the ground to avoid being sucked in. Awase fused his feet into the ground while grabbing Sero and Kamakiri, fusing his hands into their skin to avoid being pulled away. Jurota transformed, grabbing Celica and Monoma and anchor himself down similar to Shoji.

But the fog soon had everyone else surrounded, swallowing them whole.

Izuku flinched as a pair of frightened, trembling hands slapped down on his shoulders before the mist sucked him in entirely.

Izuku yelled out in a panic as his feet and the ground were no longer connected. His bearings were totally lost, and the only sensation he felt besides the hands on his shoulders. The mist pulled him down, down, down, until, at last, a glimmer of light could be seen through the end of the shadowy aperture.

"Whoa!" Izuku's vision spun as the shadows spat him out, dumping him onto a hard, rocky surface. He stayed on the ground for a few seconds, shaking his head to regain his senses. For some reason, something incredibly soft was pressing against his head, and everything was wet.

It took him a second to realize that he was underwater. _'Water? That mist guy must have a warping Quirk.' _A pair of slender arms wrapped around him and began dragging him to the surface. Izuku turned his head, seeing the face of Milia. _'We must've been warped here together.'_ Suddenly, Milia's eyes widened in horror and shock.

Izuku's eyes wandered to where Milia was looking, and they widened in shock. A Villain with shark-like was heading straight for them at high speeds, "First catch of the day! Nothing personal, but you kids gotta die!"

Then, from out of nowhere, Tsuyu appeared and rammed into the villain on his right cheek. "Midoriya-chan, Takamaki-chan," the frog girl used her tongue to wrap it around the two devils before dragging them out of the water.

As the two devils gasped for breath when they reached the surface, a ship waiting for them. "Are you guys, okay?" Izuku and Milia looked up, seeing Hyde, Pony, and Rin on the ship already. "Hang on, we'll get a rope!" Hyde said.

"No need," Tsuyu, using her long tongue, gently placed Izuku and Milia on the boat carefully. As Izuku rubbed his head, he finally realized what the soft things against his head were: Milia's boobs. His face turned red as he scurried away, Milia's face just as red. Even though she silently admitted she had fantasied doing that with Izuku.

"I got two more coming on board!" Tsuyu had both Yui and Mineta wrapped in her arms.

As she wrapped Yui in her tongue and placed her on the boat, Mineta said, "For a frog… you got pretty big boobs…" the prevented boy said, using how tired he is to lean his head on her bosom. It made her blushed and embarrassed by his action.

In response the frog girl wrapped her tongue around Mineta's body and instead of placing him on the boat, she slammed him on there as hard as she could. Once that was done Tsuyu climbed on the boat

"You saved mine and Takamaki-san's lives," Izuku said. "Thanks, Asui-san."

"I told you to call me Tsuyu-chan or Tsu-chan." She said.

**Asui Tsuyu, Quirk: Frog. She can basically do anything a frog can.**

"O-O-Oh, s-sorry I didn't mean it," Izuku muttered, waving his hands around nervously.

"You okay, Yui?" Milia asked her classmate, who nodded.

"Did you see anyone else?" Rin asked.

"Not anyone I recognized," Tsuyu replied. "We might be the only ones here."

"Boy, are we in a pickle." Said Pony.

"Yeah," Hyde nodded. "What that mist guy said, do you really think they can kill All Might?"

"I'm not sure. But he was supposed to be here with our teachers including Thirteen for this period." Izuku said.

"I did hear Thirteen say that he's doing some Hero stuff in the city. But you're right, he should've showed up. Probably would've taken down these guys right away." Hiryu said

"Yeah!" Said Mineta. "And once he _does_ show up, All Might will flatten these villains like nothing!"

"I'm not so sure," said Tsuyu. "If they even bothered to come here, then they probably have a way to kill him."

Everyone else looked at Tsuyu with varying looks of horror. "Yeah," Izuku nodded. "You may be right. They obviously planned this for a while. They split us up, separating us from the teachers so it would be easier to get rid of us. The media break in yesterday was the prelude, just like what Aizawa-sensei said."

"…Will we really be able to hold out until All Might arrives?" Milia hesitantly asked. "If he does come…Will he be all right?"

As the teens ponder Milia's question, Hyde noticed something in the water. "Uh, we have other things to worry about!"

"You bastards!" the Shark Villain yelled, as he and a dozen more at least surrounded the boat. "I'll enjoy eating you!"

Mineta proceeded to scream like a little girl.

Izuku looked at the villains swimming towards the boat before he looked to the others. Each of them were growing nervous, some more than others. Izuku tried to think. If they're here for All Might, then they may have a way to kill him. They wouldn't have planned this attack otherwise. _'But why him of all the heroes? Because of his existence discourage villains and evil? Because he's the one and only Symbol of Peace and Justice?'_ His demeanor turned to determination, clinching both his fist and teeth.

"If these Villains have a way to kill All Might, then right now, we MUST put a stop to whatever they're planning!" He said, gaining the other's attention. "We have to fight… and win!"

* * *

**A/N:**

**And now we've reached the USJ. With both 1-A and 1-B there, the League of Villains are gonna be in a world of hurt, huh? Or will it be the other way around?**

**Milia's hero costume is based on a mix between Morrigan Aensland and Wiz from ****_KonoSuba_****. As she could lose her glasses in a fight, her mask is of her prescription. Celica's hero costume is mostly the same as her standard appearance in the BlazBlue game, with the addition of a witch's hat (guess who inspired that).**


	24. Heroes and Villains

**AN:**

**Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I hope you receive lots of love and chocolate today. In celebration, there's a special omake at the end of the chapter that I hope you all enjoy.**

**But before we get there, I'd like to share some news. I was surfing the net the other day when I decided to look up my fic. One of the hits led to Wattpad for some reason, so I checked it out, figured it was just a coincidence. Then I saw that the description was the exact same as my story description on AO3. And when I started reading the first chapter, it confirmed that it WAS my fic, only I don't remember putting it on Wattpad at all!**

**Apparently someone called ostens (https:-/-/-www-.-wattpad-.-com-/-user-/-dat1guy555) decided to post my story on Wattpad without me knowing (https-:-/-/-www-.-wattpad-.-com-/-story-/205237411-hero-academia-dxd (Link is now invalid. I contacted Wattpad about the issue and they disabled access)). But that's not all, because he also has a fic called "BIG TIDD". I recognized both the name and description as that of an Izuku harem fic on both FanFiction and AO3, done by UnmotivatedCartoon. I contacted him to ask him about it, and he confirmed he's not ostens. ostens also has "Lustful secrets" on his account, ANOTHER fic done by UnmotivatedCartoon.**

**And I'm sure it's not just our fics. Other fics he has are "R/Entitled parents", "secret quirk", "playtime", "DEKU, MULTY ALIEN-HERO", "MEMES", "LILITHS' CORD", "SAVIOR(IZUMOMO)" which is up-for adoption apparently, "IZUKU 1 SHOTS", and "Its a date(izumomo)".**

**I have no idea how many of these are HIS works or someone else's. All I do know is that it has to stop. Everyone, please do what you can to help stop this.**

* * *

At U.A., Rias had grown anxious. Normally she would either study or go over plans for club activities, but for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to do so now. Maybe it was just nerves. She is going on a date with Izuku later. _'No, that can't be right…'_ she thought. She had taken out her phone to ask how Izuku's class was going, but Izuku's phone was out of service for some reason.

The same was true for Momo, Ibara, and Ochako. She'll have to contact them in a different way later without anyone watching. Not being able to contact any of them didn't help with her anxiety, though. _'Maybe it's just jealousy?'_ Izuku was attracting a lot of girls lately if what both Setsuna, that pink-skinned girl, and the Hagakure girl Ochako had mentioned were any indication.

Counting herself, that meant eight girls were at least attracted to him, possibly more. If she wanted to keep up, Rias will have to step up her game. _'I should ask Inko for advice later.'_ Rias smiled, wondering just what Inko would suggest. Still, that did little to ease her.

* * *

_USJ, Flood Zone_

"What do you mean 'fight'? Are you crazy?! These guys might be able to kill All Might, and you think we can take them?! Did you hit your head when we got warped here?!" Mineta yelled at Izuku, tears coming out of his eyes like a fountain. "The best plan is for us to just wait for a real Pro from U.A. to come and save us!"

"These guys have the advantage," said Rin. "We can't get in the water or else we're dead."

"Hey, are you even listening to me?!" Mineta demanded.

"Does that mean they knew what was in the USJ before they warped in?" Milia asked.

"Probably," said Tsuyu.

"So what should we do?" Hyde asked. "Do we wait it out or face them head-on?" He then turned toward Mineta. "Or do we use the crybaby as bait so we can get to safety?"

"I like that idea, kero," Tsuyu said.

"Grape boy's crying annoying," said Pony.

"Not a bad idea," Rin nodded.

"We should do it," Yui blurted out.

"Seriously?! That's messed up! Using me as bait? You guys are sick!" Mineta wailed.

"Sorry!" Said Hyde. "I was just trying to lighten the mood… Though it is starting to get tempting."

"Guys, stop!" Izuku scolded them. "Even if it was a joke, we can't do that to Mineta-san… even though he's… him…"

"HEY!"

"But we need to focus on stopping the villains. I know one thing. These guys don't know what our Quirks are."

"Really? What makes you so sure?" Milia asked.

"Because of Asu-"

"Kero?"

"-I mean Tsuyu-san!" Izuku quickly corrected. "They sent her here."

Everyone's eyes widened as they realized that he was, in fact, right. "Kero? That's true. If they knew that I was a frog, then they probably would've thrown me to the Conflagration Zone."

"So then they separated us because they didn't know what we could do?" Hyde asked.

"Probably," Izuku nodded. "They have the advantage in numbers, but the fact they're not trying to get into the boat supports my hypothesis. To them, we could all be as powerful as All Might. But that also means they won't be underestimating us, either."

"So we need to act fast," said Yui, who still had a neutral expression on her face.

"In that case, we should talk about our Quirks and come up with a plan," said Rin. "I'll go first. My Quirk is Scales. I can form them throughout my entire body. They can act like armor for both defense and combat. I can also fire the scales like a gun."

"Mine's Frog," Tsuyu said. "I can leap fairly high and climb up walls. My tongue can lash out up to a length of twenty meters. And I can inflate my stomach outwards… It's lined with poisonous mucus…Well, not really poisonous so much as somewhat stinging, and I can…Secrete it. The latter two are probably near useless so you can forget those."

"Uh, my Quirk is Spearfinger." Milia began, "I can turn the tips of my fingers into razor-sharp claws. They can extend up to 10 meters and can cut through anything."

"Uh, my… Quirk Horn Cannon," said Pony. To demonstrate, the horns on her head plopped off, two new ones instantly growing in place as the two horns floated around her. "My horns can… fire like cannon. Can control four."

Izuku nodded. "My power is Dragon Force. Like Rin-san I can grow scales, but also wings and horns like a dragon, increasing my strength and speed. I can also double my power every 10 seconds, but I can only do so until I hit my limit."

"Size," said Yui. "I can grow or shrink any nonliving thing I've interacted with."

"Mine is Void Red," Hyde summoned the Insulator. "I can basically control and manipulate dark energy, and can use it to create this."

"_Cool~_," Pony gushed in English.

Everyone then turned to Mineta. "Uh… My Quirk creates balls on my head that grow as fast as I can pull them. They stick _super _tight. Depending on how I'm feeling, they can even stick for a whole day. But if I pull off too many balls, I'll start bleeding. They don't stick to me, just bounce off."

The others stared at Mineta for a moment… Which was more than enough to cause the perverted boy to cry comically. "Don't look at me like that! That's why I say we wait for the Pro Heroes to come! My Quirk is useless here! We're all gonna die!"

"Dude, calm down!" Hyde said.

"How did this guy get into the hero course?" Rin sweat-dropped.

"Can we use his Quirk to incapacitate the villains?" Yui asked.

"Wouldn't they just avoid his… balls?" Tsuyu asked.

Before anyone could answer, Hyde yelled, "Look out!" He tackled Pony away just as a giant hand of water slammed down on the boat, slicing it in half. The boat rocked violently as it began to sink.

"I'm starting to get bored! Let's get this show on the road already!" One of the villains, having used his Quirk to slice the boat, yelled.

"We're running out of time!" Rin activated his Quirk and started firing his scales at the villains. They quickly scattered away from his attack. Many of them went around to dodge the attack while others stayed behind but dodged them from underwater. "Someone hurry up and come up with a plan!"

"We're gonna die!" Mineta cried.

"Hey, Midoriya! About what Kodai said. Is there any way we can use Mineta's Quirk in this?" Hyde asked.

Izuku looked out at the water, noting how all of the villains were now all concentrated near the bow. He then looked at the other teens before his eyes settled on Pony. "Tsunotori-san, you said you can control your horns, right? Does that mean you can freely control them?"

Pony, though confused for a second, nodded.

"Your big brain got a plan now, Midoriya?" Hyde asked.

Izuku nodded. "Here's my idea."

* * *

_Entrance_

"Shoji-kun, do you have everyone?" Iida asked.

Shoji's Dupli-Arms had erupted into a grotesque web of numerous ears and eyes, each appendage listening and observing the facility before him from as many different angles as possible. Each ear and eye twitched with every twinge of his muscles.

"They've been scattered across the facility." He answered. "But both Class 1-A and Class 1-B are still here."

The students grew a collective sigh of relief, happy that their classmates are safe. For now. They look in front to see the exit where Kurogiri was blocking their way. "What do we do?" Sero asked.

"Physical attacks do not seem to work against him," growled Jurota.

"And he can also warp anything he wants," Monoma added. "This won't be easy."

Thirteen pondered for a second before coming to a snap decision, "Students, which of you is the fastest?" she asked in a serious tone.

"Uh, me sensei," Iida raise this hand hesitantly.

Thirteen nodded. "Good. First chance you get, run past this villain and get outside to warn the school! It's our only hope!" Desperation was creeping into Thirteen's voice.

"And abandon you all?" Iida asked, eyes widened.

"Come on, Iida!" Sero shouted back over his shoulder. "You're the only one who can!"

Iida looked over his classmates and those from Class 1-B and back to the rest of the massive facility. Discounting the teachers there were 27 other lives riding on him, including his own. He turned back to Thirteen and nodded as he revved his engines again and planted his feet, ready to kick off towards the door.

"Discussing your plans in front of the enemy?" Kurogiri asked, "A bit foolish isn't it?"

"It isn't foolish when you can't do anything to prevent it!" Thirteen flipped open a finger cap and activating her Quirk. "BLACK HOLE!"

* * *

"Almost made it back to shore," Hyde said. Everyone who was sent to the Flood Zone were now in waist-deep water as they neared the central plaza.

"Mineta-san, are you sure the villains won't be able to escape," Milia asked, looking back at the aquatic villains, who were either unconscious or struggling to break away from the sticky balls. Izuku's plan had both Pony and Rin use their Quirks to corral the villains while Mineta threw as many sticky balls into the water as possible.

"They're not going anywhere," Mineta proudly said, ignoring the blood dripping from his scalp.

Milia sighed in relief. That was one problem taken care of. "Uh, Milia?" Said girl looked to her side to see Pony. "Can we talk?"

"Sure. What is it?" Milia asked.

Pony didn't say anything right away. But her big eyes showed that she seemed… confused about something. "…Why are you and Midoriya talking in English?"

"Eh?" Milia suddenly realized that Pony was talking to her in English. Of course, she didn't realize, because of the devil's gift of tongues she could talk to anyone in any language without any issue. But since Japanese wasn't Pony's first language, it makes sense for her to hear Milia and Izuku in English.

Looking at the others to make sure none were listening in, Milia replied. "It's… a little difficult to explain. I promise to give you answers when this is over, okay?"

Pony smiled and nodded. "Okay!"

"Hey, I can see the exit," Rin pointed to his left, the stairs and doorway within sight. "We should be able to make a break for it now."

"So, what next Midoriya?" Hyde asked.

Izuku looked back at the villains in the water before looking over at the other zones. "Our next priority should be to help our classmates. If those villains outnumbered us, then they'll definitely be surrounding our classmates."

"Yeah, kero," Tsuyu said with a nod.

"What about our teachers?" Yui asked.

"They should be fine," Rin reassured. "Vlad-sensei has an amazing Quirk, plus he has 1-A's teacher for backup. And if the guys we fought were any indication, our classmates will be okay."

Izuku knew that Rin was right, but that didn't ease him at all. Based on how many villains he remembered seeing at the central plaza, then it's likely that their teachers were starting to feel fatigued by now. "If they don't get backup, Aizawa-sensei and Vlad King are gonna be overrun." He said with a serious look.

"What are you saying?" Mineta fearfully asked.

"You're not seriously planning on helping them, are you?" Rin asked.

"I'm not saying we should interfere. I'm just saying we should at least help them out and take on a couple of villains to at least make it easier for them," Izuku clarified.

"Then let's split up," Hyde suggested. "Some of us go help our classmates, while the rest go help our teachers."

Everyone, even Mineta, nodded. "Okay, me, Asu-" he paused when he saw Tsuyu look at him. "I-I m-mean Tsuyu-san, Takamaki-san, and Kido-san will head to the central plaza. Everyone else will head to the other zones to help our classmates. If anyone's injured take them back to the entrance."

* * *

_Landside Zone_

"Oh shit! RUN!"

"I can't move!"

"I'm sinking!"

"For God's sake, you're adults aren't you? At least try to put up a fight." Todoroki said as he froze every villain who got too close. Behind him, Liana ensured several villains in a bone cage. To her right Honenuki used his Quirk to soften the ground under a number of villains before hardening it, trapping them in place.

"Your opponents are just school children, and yet you're going down so easily," Liana sighed.

"T-Th-These kids… they're monsters…" a half-frozen villain shivered.

"I think that's most of them," said Honenuki. "But this doesn't feel right…"

Todoroki nodded. "Yeah. Their objective is to kill All Might, so I had thought they gathered elite villains who could overpower him…"

"I thought so as well," Liana didn't even bat an eye as she incapacitated a villain who had sneak up from behind. Another Villain tried to move in on then, but Honenuki effortlessly softens the ground beneath him. "But these guys are just pawns. A ragtag bunch of thugs that even teenagers could beat. From what I can tell, there were only four or five truly dangerous villains here: that mist villain who warped us here, that hands villain, the one in the cloak, that brain-monster, and whoever is jamming communications."

"So what do we do?" Honenuki asked.

Liana turned to one of the villains Todoroki had frozen. "Get information," calmly, she walked up to the villain.

_*Shlikt!*_

Before she created a long bone blade, the edge just grazing the villain's face. "Listen, from what I can tell you and your friends have only two options. A, stay here and wait for your cells to die from frostbite and hypothermia or B, tells us how you plan to kill All Might and get arrested. Your choice…"

_'She's… scary…'_ Honenuki thought quietly to himself. Next to him, Todoroki watched in surprise. He wasn't expecting her to be like this.

* * *

_Mountain Zone_

By random chance, all the students transported here were girls, much to the villain's delight. "Good! Looks like we'll have some fun, boys!" One of them said.

"Okay, this doesn't look good," said Kyoka.

"There sure are a lot of them…" Ibara said.

"They seem… happier then they should be," Reiko stated.

Itsuka, Momo, Setsuna, and Tsubasa merely narrowed their eyes when they saw how most of the villains with a leering expression. "Ibara, get ready," Momo whispered.

Ibara nodded and closed her eyes and put her hands together as if in prayer. "Looks like they want it the hard way, boys!" One of the villains proclaimed. "Let's-"

Ibara opened her eyes, and suddenly her vine hair came alive and lashed out against the Villains.

"Crucifixion."

Seconds later, half the Villains were suspended in the air, tied at their hands and feet, unable to move from the large vines holding them in place. Taking this chance, the other girls quickly charged at the villains.

Enlarging her fist, Itsuka engaged in battle against the Villains that were still free. One Villain nearly attacked her on her back, but a large rock hit him on the head just as another student, this one with pale gray hair, appeared from another place.

"Thanks, Reiko!" Itsuka said, giving her a thumbs-up before resuming her fight.

Kyoka connected her earphone jack into the speakers in her legs, creating a large and powerful sound wave, pushing back and knocking out several of the villains.

Momo had already created a metal staff and had launched herself into the fight, utterly stunning the villains, who did not know how to counter her rapid swings. With a smile, she then fired a bolt of lightning at him, burning both him and a few villains unlucky enough to be behind him black.

Tsubasa quickly absorbed the surrounding rock before delivering a series of punches and kicks to any villains near her.

A villain carrying two swords jumped down from above, swinging his blades at the closest student: Setsuna. The green-haired teen didn't have time to react as her body neatly sliced into three parts. Her head rolled to the ground, the top half followed, and later the same happened with the rest.

"Ha! That's one down!" the gloated. "Now for the-GHA!" He dropped his swords, his voice taking on an unnaturally high pitched as a leg kneed him in the groin.

"Surprise!" Setsuna shouted, her smirking head suddenly floating to the villains horror.

It wasn't long until all of the villains had been dealt with. "That's all of them," Tsubasa said, tossing an unconscious villain into a small pile of such she made.

"That was of minimal difficulty," said Reiko.

Some of the other girls turned to look at Reiko in horror. "Did you just say this was easy?" Kyoka asked. "You never say it was easy, _ever_!"

Reiko raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Suddenly, out of the ground emerged a villain. Before anyone could properly react he grabbed hold of the nearest student, Tsubasa, lifting her by her neck. "No one move. Hands in the air and no Quirks!" The villain shouted. "Try anything and she dies." Sparks of electricity crackled from the villain's free hand.

The girls immediately complied putting their hands in the air.

"That's why," Kyoka grumbled.

"An electric-type…" Setsuna hissed. "He must be the one jamming communications."

"Normally I don't like to kill," the villains said, his electrically charged hand inching closer to Tsubasa's head. As the villain talked, Momo glanced at Tsubasa as she dangled from the villain's grip. _'What is Tsubasa doing? She's a Rook, so she could easily overpower him.'_

"So, what's it gonna be?" The villain asked.

"Here's my vote…" Tsubasa groaned. "None of the above!" Quickly, Tsubasa grabbed hold of the villain's hand with her left hand. Electricity soon transferred from the villain to Tsubasa.

"What are you…!" The villain wasn't able to finish, as Tsubasa broke free from his grip, her body now giving off electrical sparks. The villains face contorted to one of shock and pain as Tsubasa punched him in the gut, the push having more force due to the energy Tsubasa absorbed.

The villain fell to the ground, unconscious. Huffing, Tsubasa dropped to the ground not long after.

"You okay?" Kyoka asked as she and the other girls ran to Tsubasa's side.

Tsubasa panted out a response. "That…was…a rush… Remind me…to never…do that…again…"

"The alarms aren't going off," Setsuna noted. She was right. Despite the villain being down the alarms didn't trigger.

"What gives? I thought that guy was the one jamming everything." Kyoka noted.

"They must have completely fired the system." Momo guessed. "Though with him down we should be able to call the school now."

"Anyone happen to have brought their phone?" Tsubasa asked as she got up. "I forgot mine at home."

"Left mine charging at school," Kyoka answered.

"I brought mine," Itsuka said. "But it's not getting a good signal."

"Should we head back to the entrance then?" Reiko asked.

"What about Izuku-san and the others?" Ibara asked. "They could still be fighting."

"Yeah," Setsuna nodded. "Not to mention there are a lot more villains left to deal with."

"That's a good point," said Momo. "In that case, we should head to the entrance."

* * *

_Central Plaza_

Hyde, Izuku, Tsuyu, and Milia all reached the edge of the Flood Zone to the Central Plaza but stayed in the water to avoid detection. Eraserhead and Vlad King, surrounded by a multitude of unconscious thugs, knocked out the last person to rush them. That they were still standing despite the obvious strain was commendable, as was their readiness in the stance they took in case any other villain decided to attack.

The students each sighed in relief that their teachers were safe. But then, Shigaraki began to clap. It was a slow clap, almost mocking in the ensuing silence.

"Congrats," he said, and hooked his thumb on the pocket of his jeans. "Had fun?"

The corners of the Aizawa's lips tightened. "I've had better."

"Aww," Shigaraki smirked. "How inconsiderate of the effort those guys put in. I'll let them know you think they're scrubs."

Beside him, the cloaked figure snorted, and he muttered. "No shit."

"You can inform them through the police," Vlad replied. Despite his tone, it was obvious that both Vlad and Aizawa were panting.

"You both look really tired," Shigaraki noted. "Not surprising. Both of your Quirks aren't well suited for drawn-out fights against a large group, right? Even then, you two chose to jump right in to fight us from the front. Was that to put your students at ease?"

Aizawa's response was to throw his cloth away in an attempt to immobilize him, only for Shigaraki to grab the edge of the cloth and use it to pull himself closer to him. Aizawa attempted to elbow the Shigaraki in the chest, only to be blocked at the last second, as the Villain held Aizawa's elbow in a tight grip.

"Damn it…" Aizawa muttered as he realized his attack had failed.

"You really shouldn't push yourself, Eraserhead, especially since you need to blink more now," Aizawa gasped as his hair fell down. Then, the elbow Shigaraki caught started to turn grey like ash or stone, and then started to crack. Making the teacher grunted in pain. Shigaraki powers, whatever it was, had broken through Aizawa's sleeve. Now his arm was starting to crumble away, with his skin breaking away and showing his elbow's muscle.

Aizawa punched Shigaraki with a grunt. He jumped away, looking at his elbow. It was destroyed. Then more villains came running at him and attack, but he was able to kick them away, while also using his good arm.

"Kan, a little help," Aizawa turned to him, only to see Vlad's face being pounded into the ground by the cloaked figure, blood streaming from his head.

Acting quickly, Aizawa wrapped his capture cloth around the figure's arm. "Oh, trying to help your friend, huh?" Muscle sprouted from the villain's arm.

"You!" Aizawa hissed. He quickly activated his Quirk in response. "Why the hell are you here?!"

"Why?" the villain looked to Aizawa, his face completely covered thanks to the assistance of a white mask lined with small holes. "I came here for some fun."

"I'd be careful if I were you, Eraserhead," Shigaraki said in a mocking tone.

When he felt a presence behind him, Aizawa turned and saw the bird monster standing right behind him.

"Neither me or Muscular are the final boss."

Izuku and the others were shocked and horrified as the monster grabbed Aizawa, and slammed him on the ground. Blood flew as he goggles came off. All they could do was watch, as Aizawa was getting beaten. He was being held down, while the monster broke and bent his bad arm out of shape.

"What do you think of him? He's the bioengineered anti-Symbol of Peace. But you can call him Nomu."

* * *

_Entrance_

Iida, Ochako, Komuri, Shoji, Yuga, Mina, Tsuburaba, Awase, Sero, Togaru, Jurota, Celica, and Monoma were standing behind Thirteen, as the Hero used her Black Hole Quirk on Kurogiri.

"Ah, Black Hole, the Quirk that sucks up matter and turns it to dust," said Kurogiri, getting sucked into Thirteen's finger. "Such an astounding power. However, you're a rescue Hero, Thirteen, skilled at saving people from disasters." Kurogiri opened another portal in his body. "Consequently, that means you have little fighting experience or battlefield awareness."

That's when a portal opened behind Thirteen. The hero yelped as Thirteen was getting sucked in, as the students could only gasp in horror. Then, the back of Thirteen's suit was torn apart and pulled into the Black Hole. Destroying the Hero's back as it was turned into dust.

Cutting off the Black Hole's, Thirteen fell to the ground. "I'm sorry," said the Space-Hero. "He got me."

"Thirteen!" Mina screamed and ran over to her.

Even though he was scared, Iida realized this was his chance. At top speed, he headed for the exit.

"I can't let you escape," Kurogiri said, turning to the scion of the Iida family. "If the other teachers are called here, it will become harder for us."

Suddenly, Kurogiri was tackled by Shoji and Jurota, though the mist villain merely slipped out before chasing after Iida.

That was when Ochako noticed something: a metal plate within the dark mist.

_'I don't know how he's doing this, but if he's wearing something like that, then he's got a physical body!'_ She thought, and then she decided to take the risk: she jumped forward and grabbed onto the metal plate, activating her Quirk and throwing the plate, and Kurogiri, into the air.

"Go, Iida-kun!" She cried out.

Iida reached the door and began trying to pry it open, just to find that it was locked.

"Iida, we got the door!" Shoji as he and Jurota ran towards the door, their fists winded back. Iida quickly moved as the two powerhouses punched the door open, the hinges flying off from the impact.

"You pest!" Kurogiri exclaimed, surprised by the unexpected attack, as he was thrown in the air. Due mostly to his body being a mist, he managed to regain stability, but Ochako's attack had critically thrown him off.

Shoji and Jurota then used all of their strength to pry open the doors. As they cracked them, Kurogiri speeded towards them to attack again, only for Sero to use his tap Quirk to get the villain's plate. He, along with Monoma and Togaru, grabbed the tape and yank Kurogiri away from Iida. Swinging him around, before letting him fly into the air.

This gave Shoji and Jurota time to open the door enough for Iida to squeeze through.

"Go!" they all shouted as Iida ran out the door, using his highest gear to speed off back to U.A.

"He's going to call for backup," Kurogiri sighed. Narrowing his eyes, he warped himself away to warn his leader. Both of them need to leave before the Pro Heroes arrive.

* * *

_Ruins Zone_

"DIE!" Bakugo shouted as he blew away yet another thug, launching him back into a pillar.

"Think that's the last of 'em," Kirishima said as he took a moment to catch his breath.

"Ha! That didn't even count as a warmup!" Tetsutetsu said, turning his body back to normal. "So what now?"

"We gotta find the rest of our class," Kirishima said. "If we're still here then they must be too. We need to find our classmates and get back to the teachers."

"If you two wanna do that, go ahead. I'm gonna go blast that Mist Man too hell." Bakugo said.

"You're joking, right?" Tetsutetsu said. "Last time we did that our attacks didn't do anything to him. Are you seriously trying to stroke your own ego at a time like this?"

"Shut up! I'm gonna take him down because he's their exit. If I cut off their escape route then they're done for! Besides, I've already got a plan!"

"Really? What's-"

***BOOM***

Kirishima was cut short by another one of the grenadier's explosions as he knocked out a thug who'd tried to sneak up from behind. "Besides, if all these villains are small fries like these guys, then our classmates can handle them."

"I'm shocked that he knew about that villain even though he was invisible," Tetsutetsu said.

"Yeah… It's so weird seeing him so calm and rational," Kirishima noted.

"Really?" Tetsutetsu blinked. "What's he normally like?"

"Well… He's always yelling 'DIE' at the top of his lungs and has a scary scowl on his face."

"SHUT UP! I'M ALWAYS CLAM AND RATIONAL, YOU IDIOTS! DIE!" Bakugo yelled, having a scary scowl on his face.

"See!" Kirishima grinned.

"Wow, you're right," Tetsutetsu said.

"Anyway, if you wanna go hunt down everyone else then fine," Bakugo turned around and headed for the exit. "I'm going to take out that mist bastard."

"Wait, hold up. I think what you're really saying if you believe in our classmates." Tetsutetsu said, pounding his arms together as he activated his Quirk.

"If you do believe in them, then that means you believe in Midoriya, too," Kirishima said, activating his Quirk with his arms, pounding them together. "We'll tag along then."

Bakugo gritted his teeth at hearing Izuku's name but decided not to say anything. "Now, what's this plan of yours?"

* * *

_Downpour Zone_

"_KA THUNK!"_

Giant words suddenly flattened four villains at once.

"Where the hell did that come from!?" One yelled in shock.

"Haha, take that!" Manga taunted.

"Get him!" Several of the surviving villains ran toward the word-bubble headed teen, only for a shadowing hand appeared from the left of them, slamming two of them into the wall.

Before the remaining villains could react, the door to the right of them popped open, two hands pulling them in the darkness. The sound of screaming and multiple punches were heard before the villains were thrown back out.

Kuroiro stepped out of the darkness while Tokoyami exited from an alley.

"Good job. That makes eight." Tokoyami gave the two 1-B students a thumbs up, which they returned.

"We're slowly reducing their numbers. We just gotta keep using the darkness to attack them." Kuroiro said.

* * *

_Conflagration Zone_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Kaminari cried as a huge bulky Villain thug aimed a punch at him. He narrowly dodged the devastating blow and began to run away from the thug.

"Idiot!" Kaibara, arm rapidly spinning, threw a punch at the villain, sending him flying.

"Thanks!" Kaminari huffed.

"You're the electric guy, aren't you?" Kaibara asked the blond. "Can't you zap them or something?"

"It's not that simple," Kaminari replied. "I can only cover myself with electricity! I can discharge electricity, but it's not like I can control it! I'll hit you too!"

"Ugh, then we should just keep moving," Kaibara hissed.

"There they are!"

"Oh crap!" Kaminari gapped as several more villains charged toward them, when suddenly…

"Thunder Horn!" A dozen flying horns flew past the two heroes-in-training, hitting the villains and knowing them down.

"Huh?"

Kaminari and Kaibara turned and saw Pony, Rin and Yui Sunni g up to them. "Hey guys!" Pony greeted.

"Are we glad to see you!" Kaibara said.

"Ragh! You brats!" Kaminari shrieked as the villains began to get up.

Yui, with her usual blank look, picked up a few pebbles and threw them towards the villains. The villains were about to scoff at the pebbles thrown when Yui put her fingers together. The pebbles suddenly grew in size, taking out the villains in a surprise attack.

"Come on," she said to the two.

"Uh, yeah…" Kaminari nodded dumbly as they followed the three.

Once they were outside, Rin closed the door. Mineta, who had waited outside, quickly got to work sealing the door shut with his sticky balls.

"Thanks for the save, in there," Kaminari said.

Mineta puffed his chest out proudly. "Don't mention it."

"Uh, you stayed out here and didn't help at all." Rin pointed out, neatly popping the grape boy's inflated self-image.

"O-Only to make sure no villain got out!" Mineta quickly said.

"Speaking of… Are we sure that'll stop them?" Kaibara asked, referring to the sticky ball lined door.

"Don't worry," Mineta reassured, placing a few more sticky balls on the door for good measure. "They're not going anywhere."

"Uh, Mineta, you're head's bleeding," Kaminari pointed out.

"I _know_!" Mineta groaned, pulling out a paper towel from his diaper-bowl.

* * *

Izuku could only watch in horror as the two villains slowly broke Aizawa and Vlad. Muscular easily had Vlad restrain, enjoying breaking the hero's arms and legs slowly. Aizawa laid broken on the ground, Nomu manhandling him like a doll. _'I saw Aizawa-sensei use his Quirk on that Nomu thing, but his power wasn't affected in the least. Does that mean… it's as strong as All Might!?'_ he thought in horror.

Hyde desperately held onto his right hand, doing his best to not charge in right then and there.

"Kero," Tsuyu had lowered herself in the water.

"Midoriya-kun…" Milia's voice was low, filled with dread. "What do we do?"

"Oi. Don't mess him up too much," Shigaraki told Muscular, who had punched Vlad's face. "You already know why."

Muscular shot him a withering look, displeased at his enjoyment being interrupted. Beneath him, Vlad visibly struggled to push him off the psychotic villain. "If this is about leaving wit-"

"Shut it," Shigaraki cut in, a sneer replacing his smug expression. "Don't forget why I brought you along, Muscular. It wasn't for leaking spoilers."

The floor crumbled further as the brawny man slammed his fist on the ground. "You can't expect me to not do anything and just sit on him!"

"Yeah?"

Shigaraki's scarlet eyes took on a dangerous glint, visible from between the fingers that obscured most of his face. Muscular returned the look with one of defiance.

Before either could say or do anything, however…

"Shigaraki Tomura."

At that moment, black mist gathered behind both of them. Kurogiri had returned from the entrance.

"Kurogiri. Then is Thirteen dead?"

"I have incapacitated her." Kurogiri's form rippled. "However, I'm afraid the students whom I could not scatter impeded me. One was able to escape with his life."

"…Shit!" Shigaraki scraped his neck in irritation, drawing long, red lines down pale skin. "If that brat gets past the villains we stationed outside, and if the heroes get here, then it's all but guaranteed game over. The difficulty has jumped from Hard to Merciless, assuming All Might doesn't show up before them… ah." A thought came to him, and he stilled. "Say, Kurogiri. No one's seen All Might go all out, yeah?"

Muscular gave a surprised bark of laughter as he caught on. "You little shit."

"I don't believe so," Kurogiri said, narrowing his golden eyes at Muscular in disapproval before sliding his gaze back to Shigaraki. "But do consider that you risk capture if some of the heroes ignore Nomu and Muscular and head straight for you, Shigaraki."

"I'm aware," slowly, Shigaraki turned to where the students are hiding. "But at the very least, we'll get to see both those heroes, All Might, lose their cool… if we bring them some dead students."

In the blink of an eye, Shigaraki had appeared in front of the hiding students at transonic speeds, with his hand aimed straight for Tsuyu's face. Time seemed to slow down for Izuku. He stood there, frozen, seeing Shigaraki's hand about to touch Tsuyu's face. Izuku's mind flashed to when Shigaraki grabbed Aizawa's arm. The way he destroyed his elbow. The way it crumbled away.

It was going to happen to Tsuyu.

She was going to die.

Before anyone could even react, Shigaraki had already placed his hand on Tsuyu's head, placing all 5 fingers on her head.

But… nothing happened.

"Tch," Shigaraki clicked his tongue. "You really are a cool guy aren't you… Eraserhead?"

Aizawa had his head raised up, using his Quirk and staring at Shigaraki with a death glare. Shigaraki merely tilted his head for Nomu to obey and slam Aizawa's head into the floor once more.

Without thinking, Izuku jumped out of the water, a look of rage on his face. Shigaraki's clearly different from the villains they've fought, and so was Nomu. He had to save Tsuyu and get them out of there.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Izuku screamed. "DRAGON-"

"Nomu."

"SMASH!"

**[EXPLOSION!]**

Izuku didn't wait for the dust to clear as he hurriedly grabbed Tsuyu and Milia, pulling them away from Shigaraki. Hyde quickly followed. "Are you okay?" Izuku asked Tsuyu once he was sure they were away from Shigaraki.

"I-I'm… okay…" the frog girl was still in shock. Her heart was racing. Slowly, Tsuyu's eyes looked up to Izuku, the faintest sign of a blush forming on her cheeks. She needed to thank him for saving her once this was all over.

"Um, guys…" Hyde had taken on a stance, ready to fight at a moment's notice. The other three to where Hyde was glaring, at where the villain was. But instead of Shigaraki, they saw Nomu.

"When did he get there?" Izuku asked in shock.

"Wait…" Milia's eyes widened in horror. "Midoriya-kun's attack… didn't hurt him…?"

Izuku's eyes widened, realizing that Milia was right. The same attack that both took down a Zero-Pointer and Riser, didn't seem to do anything to Nomu.

"That was a nice punch," an unharmed Shigaraki said. "You a fan of All Might? Too bad that Nomu was created to fight and kill All Might. Still, a dragon? And a red gauntlet? Are you…" Shigaraki turned to look at Izuku for a second. "It's far too dangerous to let you leave here alive. Nomu, kill him!"

Nomu, moving at impossible speed, suddenly grabbed Izuku's right arm and squeezed it as tightly as possible, causing him to yell in pain. Nomu then slammed Izuku into the ground before squeezing its hold on his arm. Izuku screamed in pain as the Nomu broke his arm.

"Izuku!" Milia cried, extending her claws she stabbed the Nomu's arm. But the beast barely even flinched at the action, but it was enough to lose its grip on Izuku's arm, who struggled to pull his arm away. Tsuyu quickly wrapped her tongue around Izuku and pulled him away as Milia stabbed Nomu again.

"Midroiya-chan! You okay?" Tsuyu asked, visibly worried.

"Y-Yeah…" Izuku grunted out. He couldn't feel anything in his arm anymore.

[Izuku, what that hand guy said…]

Izuku mentally nodded. _'Yeah…'_ Izuku looked word Shigaraki, a cruel grin on his cracked lips.

"Midoriya, hang on!" Hyde called out, but before he could move in to help, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the villain who had beaten Vlad charge him, giving him just enough time to barely step to the side before a giant fist was plowed into the ground. As he skidded to a halt, Insulator readied at his side, he saw that the villain's arm was covered in a writhing mass of sinew and muscle.

"You dodged. Good," Muscular said. "It wouldn't be any fun if you just stood there and gave it to me."

* * *

Iida began to feel his engine beginning to stall._ 'No, not now!'_ Iida gritted his teeth, begging and willing his engines to keep working. He was only about halfway to U.A., and the more time he wasted getting there, the more likely something terrible will befall one of his classmates.

A giant steel ball flying sword him suddenly stopped him in his tracks. The ball just barely hit him as he ducked, skidding to a halt.

"Look, Wrecker. A kid managed to make it out."

Emerging from the bushes and trees on either side of the road, four villains stepped out. One had the steel ball connected to a chain wrapped around his right arm and another was carrying a large crowbar.

"Ain't that Ingenium's kid brother?"

"Yeah," the one with the crowbar, the apparent leader, nodded. "We've got a bone to pick with him, don't we boys?"

Iida scowled. "I don't know what 'bone' you have with him, but that doesn't matter now. I need to get through."

"Not happening, Kidgenium," the crowbar wielding villain said. "Shigaraki hired us to make sure none of you brats make it back to U.A. in one piece. Wrecking Crew, let's wreak!"

* * *

Milia cried out in pain as the Nomu, despite the ten claws piercing its arms, easily moved before breaking the claws. "Takamaki!" Izuku cried out as he ran to her along with Tsuyu.

"I… I'm fine…" Milia muttered, blood dripping from her fingers. "I sorry… I wasn't able to hold it off."

Izuku glared at the beast. It wasn't attacking yet for some reason. "Midoriya-chan, what do we do?" Tsuyu asked fearfully.

"Whatever you're planning to do, DO IT FAST!" Hyde called out as Muscular attacked. Hyde stabbed the Insulator into the ground.

"GYRE VORTEX!"

A massive burst of dark energy caught Muscular off guard, launching him, as luck would have it, into Nomu, sending them into an adjacent wall.

"Whoa!" Hyde exclaimed. "Talk about luck."

Izuku nodded before he turned to Aizawa and Vlad King. The two weren't moving. "We gotta bet Aizawa and Vlad out of here fast!"

"Right!"

"Kero!"

Hyde and Tsuyu rushed over to the teachers while Milia stayed with Izuku. Izuku winced as he held his limp arm. [You going to be okay, brat?] Ddraig asked.

Izuku looked between where Nomu and Muscular landed before looking toward Kurogiri and Shigaraki, the later seemingly not wanting to participate yet. _'I survived against Raynare, the Port Mafia, Riser, and Momo and Ibara's cooking. I can survive this.'_

Izuku's eyes widened when he saw that Kurogiri disappeared in the second he looked away.

"Where did he-"

"I'm afraid I cannot allow that," said Kurogiri. He had appeared in-between the teachers and Tsuyu and Hyde.

"Oh crap!" Hyde hissed.

Nomu squawked as it emerged from the rubble, Muscular following. Muscular's cloak had been torn and shredded, while his mask was now missing, reveling the scare over his missing left eye… and his sadistic smile.

He chuckled darkly. "Good, good~!" Muscular grinned. "You kids got some fight in ya. Now, SHOW ME YOUR BLOOD!" Muscular screeched, lunging towered Izuku. But then, bursting out of the ground, dozens of bone spikes impaled Muscular limbs, saluting the villain. "GAH! Damnit! What the hell?!" He screeched as one bone pressed its point against his neck, ready to cut the jugular at a moment's notice.

Then, out of nowhere, Bakugo came and let off an explosion in Kurogiri's side. "Get the hell out of the way, Clownfish!" He yelled and pinned the mist villain to the ground by his plates. Izuku was surprised by Bakugo's entrance, but then he saw ice forming and heading for Nomu. It reached the monster's leg and built up his body to his arm. Leaving him frozen. Looking to where the ice came from, Izuku saw Todoroki, Liana, and Honenuki standing a few feet away.

"Guys!" Izuku exclaimed, happy to see some of their classmates.

"Sorry we took so long," Kirishima said as he appeared, with Tetsutetsu jumping into the air and yelling out a battle cry as he went to attack Shigaraki. But before he could land a hit, the easily jumped away. Seeing that he didn't get him, Tetsutetsu moved away. "Damn! That would've been cool!"

"Yeah," Tetsutetsu nodded.

"Guess I found your body that time, huh, ya smoky bastard," Bakugo said with a cocky grin.

"If you even think of moving, you'll die Muscular," Liana hissed to the villain.

"One of your poorly trained thugs told me you're here because you think you can kill All Might," Todoroki told the leader. "If you can't beat any of us, then you have no chance against the Symbol of Peace."

Izuku glared at Shigaraki. "It's over. Give it up."

* * *

**Hero Academia D×D Omake: Valentine's Disaster**

_Takes place between Chapters 12 and 13_

Izuku never really understood Valentine's Day. Well, that wasn't technically true, he knew it was a day girls give chocolate to the boys they like. But as the only chocolate he ever received was from his mom, he never truly gave the day any thought.

Of course, that was _before_ he became a devil. Now that he actually had several girls as friends now, there was a chance he'd get at least some chocolate from one of them. The thought made him blush a little. As he sat at his desk as school ended, he could hear some of his classmates talk among themselves.

"Well… What should I do now? I'm going to hang out here for a bit longer, but I don't know what to do…"

"…Not like there's anything for me to do at home, anyway. …I got it! I'll go up to the roof or something."

"I'm going to be behind the school building. You know, just because."

Three boys left the classroom, likely because most of the girls are already gone.

Izuku decided that now was as good a time as any to leave. As it was Valentine's Day, Rias said that there weren't any club activities, but they did need to meet up, so he might as well go get Ibara and head home.

"Midoriya-kun…" turning around Izuku saw a heavily blushing Milia. In her hand was a rather large box of chocolate. "This is for you…"

"Uh…" Izuku blushed heavily as he received the box from Milia. "T-Thank you, Takamaki-san."

"Y-You're welcome. I m-made them myself. P-P-Pl-Please e-enjoy!" She hurriedly left the classroom.

Izuku blinked in confusion at that. He then opened the box of chocolate she had given him. The chocolates inside had a mint smell and were a mix of regular chocolates with green-colored white chocolate.

* * *

"You got this from Takamaki?" Ochako asked once she, Izuku and Ibara arrived at the ORC room.

"Y-Yeah, I was kinda surprised," Izuku said. He had brought the chocolate with him, thinking he could share some of it with the others. "The mint makes it really good," he added

Ochako began to blush, "Then… here!" Reaching into her bag, Ochako pulled out a small bag of chocolate mochi. "H-Happy Valentine's Day, Izu-kun!"

"Uh, t-thank you," Izuku accepted the bag.

"H-Here's mine!" Ibara quickly handed Izuku a light green box.

"Oh, th-thanks," he stuttered. Opening the box Izuku found a dozen misshapen chocolates in the shape of animals, but he couldn't figure out _what_ the animals were. Shrugging off the appearance, he took one piece before eating it. The second Izuku took a bite of Ibara's chocolate, however, his eyes widened as his mouth puckered inward. "Urgh!"

"I-Izuku-san?" Ibara worriedly asked.

Izuku struggled to speak. "It's… r-rather… sour…"

"Sour?" Ochako took one of Ibara's chocolate and took a bite. Her mouth began to pucker as her eyes watered. "SO SOUR!"

Ibara hung her head in shame. "I… guess I added too much vinegar."

_'Vinegar!?'_

"I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to add vinegar to chocolate," said Yuuto as he entered the clubroom, carrying two huge bags full of boxed chocolates. "Sorry that I'm late. A lot more girls gave me chocolate than I had expected."

"Wow Yuuto, that's quite a haul," said Izuku.

"Yeah," Yuuto chuckled as he placed the bags on the table. "You should've seen what it was like last year. I received so much chocolate that I could barely carry them around. Glad I was well prepared with the bags I brought."

"That makes sense," Izuku sighed.

It wasn't long after that Rias and Koneko arrived, each handing out chocolate to everyone present. Rias' chocolates were heart-shaped and delicious compared to other regular chocolates. Koneko's chocolates were all cat-shaped and were milk chocolates with a small portion of dark and white.

Kyoka and Momo were the last to arrive, each carrying a bag. "Sorry if we're late," Momo apologized. "It took a while to get our chocolate ready."

"That's fine," Rias said as Kyoka handed everyone her chocolate. Kyoka's were shaped like musical notes and were a mix of milk, dark, and white chocolate.

"These are really good, Kyoka," Ochako complimented.

"Thanks," Kyoka blushed. "Your turn Momo. You did _buy_ your chocolate, right?" Kyoka asked.

Momo fidgeted slightly. "Actually…"

Kyoka's eyes suddenly widened in terror. "No… Please, _tell me_ you didn't!"

Nodding, Momo oped her bag and pulled out her chocolate… if it should even be _called_ that, given how everyone present flinched in fear at what they saw. The 'chocolate' was more purple and green than the usual chocolate brown and CENSORED. It also seemed to give off a dark aura. By some strange miracle, it didn't have any smell at all.

Kyoka's eye twitch. "…You did."

"Uh ha… is that even chocolate?" Ochako hesitantly asked.

"I just wanted to make some chocolate for everyone," Momo said, though her tone suggested she didn't expect her concoction to be… this!

"Momo, the last time you cooked, you nearly killed my dad!"

Everyone began to back away.

"T-That was an accident! I just got some of the ingredients wrong."

"'Accidents' don't result in something that is gritty yet slimy, crunchy yet soggy, burnt yet cold, and spicy yet sweet all in one!"

"What?" Izuku asked, eyes wide.

"That… doesn't sound physically possible," Ochako muttered.

Momo hung her head, "Is it okay for someone to at least try it?" She asked.

Everyone present stared at Momo and her… Mystery Dish. "Guys…" everyone but Momo looked to Kyoka. "I'm telling this as your friend. Don't do it!"

Everyone turned back to Momo, who was giving them all a hopeful look.

"I would love to," Yuuto said, "but I… had enough chocolate already!"

"N-No thanks!" Ibara stuttered.

"It doesn't matter how much you're willing to pay me, I'm not eating something like that!" Ochako said.

"I… I'm opting out," Koneko said.

"Sorry," Rias said, "but I am not going to partake in… whatever that is!" Rias' eyes suddenly widened in horror when she realized who was left.

Momo looked to Izuku expectingly. Izuku was about to say no when he saw that Momo seemed on the verge of crying. Gulping, he decided to at least take the chance. "F-Fine, but only a small bite!"

All color left Kyoka as she stared at Izuku in shock.

Slowly, Izuku took a fork and prepared a bite. But before he could even close his mouth around the utensil…

*THUD!*

Izuku collapsed, the close contact with the… entity being too much for him. All color left him as he twitched on the ground, his soul trying to escape his mouth. "Izuku/Izu-kun!" Most of the girls screamed while Yuuto watched in horror.

"Saw that coming," Kyoka deadpanned.

* * *

It took an hour and a half of Ibara using Twilight Healing to revive Izuku. During that time Rias did everything she could to destroy the abomination referred to as 'chocolate'. "I'm sorry," Momo bowed, her face red due to embarrassment and guilt.

Rias, while glad that Momo apologized, still was miffed that Izuku nearly died because of her cooking. "I think it's safe to say that your band from cooking without supervision."

"Amen," everyone said.

"How are you doing, Izuku-san?" Ibara asked. He had been oddly quiet, having barely taken a bite of the other girls' chocolate.

"Are you okay after that?" Ochako asked with concern.

"I…" he began. "I can't taste anything! I think whatever that thing was destroyed all my taste buds! I keep trying everyone's chocolate, but I can't taste anything!"

"Oh no," Rias said. "Just what did you put in that thing, Momo?" She demanded.

Momo blushed as she answered. "Uh, ice coffee, bell peppers, vinegar, fish sausage, among other things."

"…What?"

It took roughly a week for Izuku to regain any sense of taste.

* * *

**AN:**

**Yes, the omake is canon. I might make it part of a side story later if you want.**

**Getting close to the end of the USJ now. Shigaraki is defiantly different here than how he started in canon, huh?**

**Also, I decided to hold a poll about who should get One For All. And please, will EVERYONE please vote this time! For crying out loud, only 33 people out of close to 400 voted! The poll will be held on my FanFiction account and will be held for two weeks. Oh, and Izuku will be an option. I want to see how many of you want him to be OP.**

**Fun fact, the *Shlikt* sound Liana makes when she uses her Quirk is the same as when Wolverine extends his claws when they're not coated in adamantium.**

**Oh, and please contribute to the TV Tropes page.**

**UPDATE! The poll is over. Results will be announced next chapter.**


	25. Game Over

**AN:**

**SOOOOO sorry for the wait! I took a break from writing after the last chapter while the poll ran. That, and figuring out how this arc would end was a nightmare!**

**But of course, the whole mess involving COVID-19 started getting off the rails during this, too. People are fighting over and hoarding toilet paper! My heart goes out to those who have contracted the virus and I hope with all my heart that the victims and their families can pull through this.**

**Also, I would like to make a few things clear. First off, there seems to be a bit of confusion regarding Sacred Gears and Quirks. A couple of reviews on FanFiction reference Rias' conversation regarding them, that she stated that having both can't work because the two powers don't work well together. That is NOT TRUE! This isn't A Certain Magical Index. I've been looking into this, but I've been having trouble finding exactly where and how Rias said this. So either they misread it or I'm missing something. If you can point out where that be great.**

**Second, Shigaraki WON'T have Divine Dividing, because if he did do you really think that Albion would not do anything to help Tenko either before or after what happened?**

**Also, the poll is done, the results will be displayed at the end of the chapter.**

* * *

All Might frowned as he hung up his phone. His attempts to contact Aizawa, Vlad and Thirteen had all gone straight to voicemail.

_'__I guess the class must be in full swing at this point. It's not surprising they aren't picking up at the moment.'_

Glancing at the clock on the wall, All Might groaned in annoyance. He had pushed himself this morning and had ended up using almost all of his time. So he was forced to wait in the teacher's lounge, in his smaller form.

_'__I'm really bad at this whole teaching thing, aren't I? Regardless of the reason, because of my off hero activities, I am being forced to neglect my duties as a teacher.'_

Sighing deeply, All Might leaned back, "I'll have to at least catch the tail end of the class."

"I'd say so, assuming you can make it."

All Might jolted up, at the door Principal Nezu smiled brightly as he walked in. A bit too brightly if All Might was to say honestly.

"Good afternoon, Principal," All Might greeted, trying to hide his nervousness. "Your coat is looking extra glossy today."

"The secret is keratin; helps me get a color and luster no human could hope to achieve. We can talk about it later if you'd like. I'd much rather talk to you about something else at the moment." Taking out a tablet, Nezu scrolled through some news articles before stopping at a picture All Might, after stopping a crime, "All Might Resolves Three Incidents in Only One Hour!" Nezu read off the title, "You really outdid yourself this morning, didn't you?"

"I…have no excuse, sir."

"There are many agencies in this city that can handle these kinds of incidents. You don't have to go running off every time a cat gets stuck in a tree. Your time could be much better spent, don't you think. For a real emergency, or your students."

All Might winced.

"Speaking of, have you decided on a successor?"

All Might winced harder.

"Even with your injury and its effects on you, you still want to be seen as the Symbol of Peace, but doing so is becoming much harder for you. Since the incident, your time has continued to shrink. You becoming a teacher and slowly fading from the public eye was the best course, I thought. If it suddenly got out you were weakened, it would be very bad."

All Might didn't want to think about that. After spending so much time as a pillar for the people, the thought of what would happen if that was gone was not pleasant. Nezu was right; working as a teacher was the best way for him to step back in a way that the public would accept.

"Even if it's a cover for you, you still must take your responsibilities seriously. Those students deserve to be taught by the best, don't you think?"

"Of course, you are right."

Nezu nodded before getting onto the couch and fixing himself and All Might a cup of tea. "Tell me, have any of the first-year students caught your eye?"

"…A couple have," All Might admitted. "One is Young Midoriya."

"Ah, he was the one who placed first in the Entrance Exams, having the most rescue points. He also did incredibly well in Aizawa's test and the battle trials. He has an incredible power, doesn't he?"

All Might nodded in agreement.

"Does this mean he's the one then?"

"…I'm not sure yet," All Might admitted. "The year has only just started, and the other students have yet to truly shine yet. Though I will admit, Young Midoriya does have the spark needed to be a hero."

"A spark, huh? Did Togata Mirio not have this spark?"

That name made All Might flinch.

"If I recall, you were _very_ impressed with the young man back in his second year."

"That's true, he is very impressive."

Nezu took a sip of his tea. "You've been keeping track of the boy?"

"I have, yes."

"Because you are impressed with his progress, or because of _who_ has been training him?"

The "who" hung in the air as both heroes sat in silence. Sir Nighteye: All Might's estranged former sidekick. It had come as quite a shock when he learned that Mirai had helped train the boy, and had pushed for him to be the top candidate for One for All.

"Toshinori, there is something I have been meaning to ask you. I understand that ultimately, who you pass One for All to next is your decision. And while I don't think you would do this, I still have to ask. Did your decision to pass over Togata have anything to do with the troubled past you have with Mirai?"

"No, not at all," was All Might's instant response. "In fact, Young Togata turned the offer down."

"Oh?"

All Might nodded. "He has a good head on his shoulders, is strong, and is developing instincts that will serve him well into his future. He has also developed his Quirk into something truly magnificent. He said so himself that he intends to take my position one day, but only on his terms. He felt that, if he were given One for All, he'll become a copy of me."

Nezu nodded. "I see. That does indeed make sense. I assume that Mirai wasn't very thrilled by his decision?"

All Might's hesitance to answer was all Nezu needed to hear.

"I suppose some are just unaccepting of the fact your time as the Symbol of Peace can't last," Nezu mused. "Either way, whoever you give One for All to is your choice. I'll support it as best I can. Just make sure that you teach them properly like you're _supposed_ to be doing?"

Sighing, All Might lowered his head, knowing that Nezu was right.

"At least you should be able to make it for the end of the class if you rest up a little longer. However, after today, I really hope you take the students' needs into account before you rush off again."

"Of course."

Nezu got up left, leaving All Might alone with his thoughts. Glancing back over at the clock All Might poured himself a new cup.

_'__If I wait a couple more minutes, I'll be able to reach the class and stay for a few minutes at least. Hopefully, Aizawa, Kan, and Thirteen have everything under control.'_

* * *

Iida spat out blood as he laid on the ground, the armor of his costume broken and damaged. He wasn't sure, but he was positive that some of his ribs were either cracked or broken. In front of him, the Wrecking Crew stood firm, smiling evilly at him.

"Giving up, Kidgenium?" The leader of the villains, Wrecker, smugly asked. Iida gritted his teeth as he stood up, albeit shakily. "That's the spirit kid."

Iida stared defiantly at the villains, taking deep breaths to calm his nerves. _'My engines should be okay now. The first chance I get I need to head for the school. But these villains…'_ he shook his head. He needed to get to the school no matter what. The lives of his classmates are on the line.

"I must get through!" Iida hissed as he readied to run past the villains, "My fellow classmates are counting on me!"

"Oh shut up and die!" shouted one of the villain as he charged at Iida, intending to ram him.

Suddenly, dark red energy suddenly enveloped the villain, stopping him in his tracks as he screamed in pain. "Bulldozer!"

Bulldozer fell to the ground, unconscious as more of the energy quickly struck the other villains.

Iida could only watch in shock as the energy dissipated. The four villains collapsed to the ground, their bodies smoking. The groans confirmed that they were still alive, but who did that?

Looking to the source, Iida caught glimpse of someone. Whoever it was wore a black hooded coat, hiding their face. They quickly disappeared from sight, though. "Just who…" Iida then remembered that he had more important things to worry about.

Now that the path was clear, Iida ran as fast as his engines allowed, speeding toward U.A.

* * *

Izuku continued to glare at the hand covered villain, who glared back. His mind was currently racing, trying to come up with some way to take the villain down quickly. Shigaraki was incredibly fast, and he could destroy anything with ease. _'Is his Quirk like Ochako's and can only work with all five fingers? If so, then we need to find a way to keep him from using his hands.'_

Before he could think of anything else, Izuku's thoughts were interrupted.

_*Rip!*_

Izuku blinked as he looked at Milia. He blushed a little when he saw that she had ripped off part of her costume. "T-Takamaki?"

"Hold still," Milia used the torn off fabric to make a makeshift sling for Izuku's broken arm. "How's that?" She asked once done.

"Uh, g-good," Izuku stuttered. "Very close. I-I-I mean, snuggly. I mean snug!" Izuku blushed, unable to understand why he stuttered like that. As Milia finished, his eyes caught sight of her bloody fingertips. "Are you gonna be okay?"

Milia winced as she finished the sling. "I'll be fine."

"How sweet. It makes me wanna puke," Shigaraki hissed.

Milia glared at the villain in response.

"Hey, you guys alright?"

The students currently gathered trend at saw Momo, Kyoka, Itsuka, Tsubasa, Setsuna, Yanagi, and Ibara running words them.

"Still alive for now," Hyde responded. "Glad to see you're safe."

"Vlad-sensei!" Ibara and Yanagi ran over to their teacher, who along with Aizawa were still lying on the ground.

"Tch, more and more brats keep showing up," Shigaraki spat. "Muscular, Kurogiri, you two got careless. I'm rather disappointed in both of you."

Bakugo let out a short snicker. "You got careless, you dumb villain. It wasn't hard to figure you out. Only certain parts of you turn into that smoking warp gate. You use that mist to hide your actual body, as a kind of distraction, thinking that made you safe! That's why we missed the first time! You're not immune to physical attacks if they're well-aimed." The mist man, Kurogiri, grunted as he tried to push himself back up. Bakugo set off tiny pops against his armor, keeping him in place as he leaned in closer. "Don't move! You try anything funny, and I'll blow your ass up right now, you got it? They'll be cleanin' you up for weeks."

"You're a true hero, Bakugo," Kyoka deadpanned.

Muscular could only growl in frustration, the bone spike dangerously close to piercing his jugular vein. "Can you hold him, Kozuki-san?" Momo asked, she and Itsuka standing by her.

"For a little while," Liana whispered to them so as to not let Muscular hear. "Right now we need to focus on getting Aizawa-sensei and Vlad-sensei out of here. They don't have much time."

"On it!" Kyoka, along with Yanagi and Milia, ran over to the teachers. Milia and Yanagi gently picked up Vlad while Kyoka attempted to lift Aizawa, but was having trouble.

"Here, let me!" a familiar pair of gloves hovered over and lifted Aizawa by his legs.

"Wait, Hagakure?" Kyoka blinked. "When did you get here?"

"I was with you at the Mountain Zone, I just happened to land further away from the villains than you guys," Toru explained.

Shigaraki watched in contempt as the four girls carried Aizawa and Vlad away. His eyes then wandered to the heroes-in-training still here. With the exception of a few, they were all glaring at him, waiting for him to make a move.

"Why so hesitant?" Shigaraki asked them. "You captured three of my strongest men, what's stopping you from taking me next?"

"Hey yeah, why aren't we doing that?" Tetsutetsu asked.

"We don't know what his Quirk is, Metal Head!" Bakugo growled.

"It's some kind of disintegration Quirk," Izuku spoke up. "When he touched Aizawa-sensei's arm it began to deteriorate."

"Tch, observant little brat." Shigaraki spat.

"Good to know," Liana said.

"Yeah," Setsuna nodded. "Now that we know about his Quirk, we can end this here and now!"

Shigaraki, much to the student's surprise, chuckled in amusement. "And what makes you think you won?" He turned to Nomu. "Nomu."

Todoroki gasped when Nomu started to move, his arm and leg that were frozen broke apart in the ice.

"How is that thing still moving?" Izuku asked in shock. That's when the ice encasing Nomu began to break. No, not break. _Melt_. As the ice quickly turned into steam, Nomu's body burst into flames, but instead of burning the beast it… healed him. The eyes of Izuku, Momo, Ibara, and Tsubasa all widened in shock. They recognized that fire. _'No way. That's…'_

Shigaraki chuckled darkly at their shocked faces. "We created Nomu to kill All Might. He can't feel any hits he takes. He instantly heals any wounds you give him. He'll never tire. He'll never die. And he'll never _stop_. An immortal killing machine with one purpose. Now be good heroes and die."

The Nomu suddenly dashed towards Bakugo, who's attention was heavily diverted to making sure Kurogiri didn't escape, and so wasn't even able to react in time as the Nomu punched Bakugo into the ground, causing him to bounce several times, crashing through several trees before crashing into a wall.

"KACCHAN/BAKUGO!"

Unfortunately, Muscular took the students shock as an opportunity and break some of the bones Liana had impaled him with. "Shouldn't let your guard down!" He laughed as he grabbed the bone and, through that, tossed Liana aside.

Itsuka quickly enlarged one of her hands and caught Liana. "You okay?!"

Liana nodded as she was set down. "I let my guard down for _one-second_!" She hissed, her hand gripping her left arm.

As the dust cleared Ibara didn't hesitate to run toward where the blond landed. The good news was that Bakugo was still alive somehow. The bad news was that the Nomu's punch had been powerful enough to break a good number of his bones. Ibara didn't waste any time in using Twilight Healing. "He's alive… Barely…" Ibara confirmed. Already Bakugo's broken bones realigned as his bruises slowly vanish.

"So they have a healer, huh?" Shigaraki mussed.

"Not for long!" Muscular leaped toward the pair.

Once again, time seemed to slow down for Izuku as he watched Muscular head for Ibara. With her busy healing Bakugo, she couldn't defend herself properly, especially not against someone like him.

"NO!" Without thinking, Izuku ran to intercept Muscular, determined to protect her. To protect THEM!

As he ran, he failed to notice the green glow his gauntly was giving off.

**[Welsh Dragon, Balance Breaker!]**

Suddenly, a red armored fist collided against Muscular, sending the deranged villain flying.

Everyone present gasped at what they saw as Bakugo slowly stirred. His head hurt like hell and his vision was blurred somewhat, but what he saw was no mistake. "Deku…?"

In a flash of light, armor had formed around the green-haired devil's body. The armor matched his crimson bracer, green jewels and dragon-like traits forming across his arms, chest and legs. And finally, there was a long tail.

"What the hell!?" Hyde asked out loud in shock, he and the other students surprised by the sudden transformation, none more so than Shigaraki, who could only stare wide-eyed at Izuku with a mix of fear and shock.

"Nomu! Kill him now!" Shigaraki ordered.

Nomu quickly attempted to grab Izuku, but he dodges it by sliding on the ground before delivering an uppercut on the Nomu's chin. The beast barely felt the punch as it tries to crush Izuku with his foot but Izuku dodges it.

As he stood back up the Nomu swung its arm, hitting Izuku with enough force to push him back several feet, the armor cracking in several areas around where the arm hit. With a grunt, Izuku ignored any pain as he charged at the Nomu again. With a roar the Nomu ran toward Izuku, ready to deliver a punch, but the young Red Dragon Emperor did a quick sidestep, dodging the attack, before delivering a punch to the beast's stomach.

All that did was seem to make the Nomu angry, the monster retaliating by swatted its giant hand into Izuku's right side. The devil yelled in pain as more of the armor cracked as he skid to a halt.

* * *

Back at the entrance, Kyoka, Toru, Yanagi, and Milia gently placed Vlad and Aizawa on the ground near Thirteen, who Celica was taking care of. "You have an elegant Quirk, _mademoiselle_," Aoyama complimented.

"Uh, yeah. Thanks," Celica smiled. She soon stopped healing Thirteen. "That should do. How do you feel?"

"Better," Thirteen replied as she got up. "Much better. Thank you."

"No problem," Celica sweetly replied. "Now I need to focus on Aizawa-sensei and Vlad-sensei."

As Celica began healing Vlad, the others watched as Izuku fight against the Nomu, all by himself.

"C'mon, Midoriya! You got this!"

"Hell yeah! Show that thing who's boss!" Sero and Awase cheered, along with the other boys. Though the boys including were cheering on for him, Ochako, Mina, Kyoka, and Milia watched on with concern looks.

"I can't believe Midoriya-kun is going against that thing by himself… is he going to be okay?" Toru asked.

"I hope so," Ochako said.

"I'm sure he'll be okay," said Mina. Then she yelled out, "Bash that thing into the ground, Midori!" She cheered.

* * *

Nearby, the students watch in amazement as Izuku fought against the Nomu. "Awesome…" was all Tetsutetsu could utter.

"Come on, Izuku! Beat that thing!" Ibara cheered, Setsuna and Itsuka doing the same.

However, Liana had only kept her focus on the Nomu and noticed something off. "Something isn't right," she uttered.

"Yeah," Momo nodded. "None of Izuku-san's attacks are hurting it."

"That villain, Shigaraki, did say that the Nomu was meant to kill All Might," Todoroki said. "It must have a Quirk that's a counter to his."

"You mean it has something else other than that fire regeneration?" Honenuki asked.

"From the looks of things, yes," Liana answered. "We should let Midoriya handle that thing. Let's focus on…" she trailed off as she glanced over to where Shigaraki and the other villain were. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw that Muscular was missing. "Where's Muscular!?"

She got her answer when a large, fast moving mass suddenly hit Izuku in the side, cracking his armor further as he was sent flying into a nearby wall.

"There's no way in hell I can keep still after seeing someone that strong!" Muscular exclaimed, a deranged look on his face.

Within his helmet, Izuku spat out blood. Even with the armor, the attacks from Nomu and Muscular were taking their toll. [Izuku, you can't take much more of this!] Ddraig said. [You were already badly hurt when you achieved this. And you only have a couple of seconds left.]

_'__Not yet,'_ Izuku fought back the pain as he shakily stood up, glaring at the villains before them. _'I have…'_ he began to take a few steps towards the villains. "I have to-"

In the blink of an eye, the armor was gone.

Izuku gasped in shock, before stumbling forward. The students gasped in shock also, with Kirishima and Tsubasa quickly running over to him.

"Midoriya, hey!"

"Green! You okay!?"

"I'm… I'm fine…" Izuku groaned as the red-head helped the greennet stand. His whole body felt weak, like he had been training for hours nonstop. _'Ddraig, what happened?'_

[You ran out of stamina.] Ddraig mentally answered. [You managed to achieve Balance Breaker for a short time, only about ten-seconds, and Scale Mail is incredibly taxing. That and your arm is still broken. I'm honestly more shocked you're still conscious.]

_'__Balance Breaker?'_

"You okay, man?" Kirishima asked.

"Y…Yeah," Izuku nodded weakly. He'll ask Ddraig more about that later, right now there was still the matter of the Nomu and its master.

"That's it?" Muscular asked, rather disappointed the fight was over before he could even have some fun.

Shigaraki felt a smirk form on his cracked lips. "He's still a newbie with that thing, it seems," he muttered. "Let's not waste any time. Nomu, kill-"

**BAM!**

Suddenly, a loud explosion burst from the entrance, as the sliding doors to the USJ were blown off the with tremendous force, creating a dust cloud that concealed whoever it was. All eyes went to the entrance. A deep relief washed over all the students and teachers, the feeling of which was clearly evident on their faces.

"**Have no fear, students…**" After throwing aside his suit jacket, All Might grabbed his tie and ripped it off his neck. "**I am here!**"

Gone was the normal smile on All Might's face. Replacing it was a face of pure rage.

"Well, look who finally decided too show. I've been waiting for you All Might. Time to die you worthless piece of shit." Shigaraki declared.

"All Might…" Thirteen muttered.

"**Sorry I'm late, though it seems my instincts were right on this one, glad I cut my talk with the principal short.**" All Might stated. "**Young Iida told me the gist of what was going on when he arrived at U.A. The other teachers will be here soon, so leave the rest to me.**"

As the minions in the plaza who had regained consciousness stood in awe of All Might, they were suddenly floored. All Might had made it to the plaza in a flash, taking them all down in an instant. In that same instant, he had gathered each of the students in the plaza, pulling them from harm's way.

It took roughly a second for them to realize what had append. "What the hell?" Hyde voiced what they all thought.

All Might looked over the students. Most of them were fine, but a couple were badly hurt.

Tsubasa had begun carrying Izuku in her arms, which would've been somewhat funny if the situation wasn't so dire. Izuku's arm and a sickly dark color, due to it being broken, the sling Milia had made having been torn off when he went Balance Break. It was easy to tell that he was exhausted and fighting through a lot of pain.

Bakugo was somewhat worse. He couldn't even stand on his own right now, relying on Kirishima for aid. His right eye had swollen and his arm was limp, likely dislocated. His right leg was twisted somewhat as well.

_'_**_They've all suffered so much while I was resting…_**_'_ All Might gritted his teeth, glaring at the villains. "**You kids stand back. I'll deal with these villains!**"

"All…Might…" Izuku's voice was barely more than a whisper, but All Might was immediately kneeling down to better listen to him from where he was still being held in Tsubasa's arms, "big one…impact resistance…flame regeneration…strong…be careful…"

"He's right. That thing was made to fight against you at full power," Liana stressed.

"That hands villain even said the thing was immortal," Hyde pointed out.

"At least let us handle Muscular and the other two." Honenuki offered.

"**I appreciate the concern,**" the Symbol of Peace nodded. "**But let me handle this. Take Young Midoriya to safety. He and Young Bakugo need rest.**"

"Screw that," Bakugo growled. "I'm paying that bird bastard ba- ACK!" The ashen blond nearly collapsed at the sudden pain in his side.

"**I rest my case.**"

"Nomu, Muscular, Kurogiri, kill him," Shigaraki ordered. "I'll deal with the children. Let's finish this level and go home."

"Right!" Muscular grinned.

"Heads up, they're coming," Hyde warned, readying the Insulator. Some of the other students took on defensive stances also.

A familiar massive black shape shot out towards them with a roar and headed straight for All Might. The Symbol of Peace was ready and met its massive fist with his own, creating a shockwave so intense that the student's and the other villains were all pushed back by the air pressure.

"You can't win, _Hero_!" Shigaraki taunted as he tumbled through the air before landing. "He's immortal!"

"**Yeah? What about it?!**" All Might yelled back as his fist collided with Nomu's yet again. Before long, their series of slow punches escalated into a rapid exchange of fists, each one sending off massive gusts of air.

As she steadied herself, careful not to let go of Izuku, Tsubasa absorbed the concrete from the ground to wiggle herself down so as to no be blown any further back. "He's…fighting…that thing…on his own…?" She heard Izuku asked over the blowing wind.

"Whoa, they're…" said Tetsutetsu, letting out a gasp as he almost fell over.

"…so fast!" Kirishima finished, hardening his skin to keep himself in place.

"No! I can't get near them!" Kurogiri cursed as the shockwaves likewise kept him and Muscular out of the fight.

True to the kids' warning, All Might found that the Nomu resisted his attacks to an unnatural degree. What's more was that the Nomu was matching him blow per blow, even managing to get a few hits of its own.

However, this was _not_ the first opponent that All Might had ever faced whom he could not simply take down with a single blow. Amongst the hundreds, nay, _thousands_ of opponents that he had faced over his career, there had only been a few who had been able to truly stand against him.

One, in particular, stood out from all of the others, and All Might fears that _he_ might be responsible for this monstrosity. Painful memories staring up as the Nomu landed a hit in the side, nearly causing All Might to topple over from pain, but he withstood it.

For right now, his anger was greater than any pain he felt. Indeed, he was far angrier than he could remember ever being in recent memory. The reason was clear too: these Villains had threatened his students, incapacitated two of his comrades, and dared _injured_ some of them.

All the more reason to end this now.

"**You may be immortal, villain,**" All Might said to the Nomu, not caring if it could understand him or not. "**But that only means you're limits are slightly higher than everyone else's!**" All Might's punches slowly began to land on Nomu rather than colliding with the beast's own attacks.

"**You were made to fight me, right? Even if you can withstand me going at 100%,**" All Might slowly began forcing Nomu back with his blows. "**Then I'll simply go beyond that and FORCE YOU TO SURRENDER!**" The speed of All Might's punches escalated, causing the Nomu to flinched as several solid hits were landed on its face before he flew a left hook, sending the Nomu flying.

The Nomu roared and charged him once more, but All Might brought Nomu's head crashing into his knee and hurled him through the air with a twisting wrench that would have torn the head off of any lesser being, sending the beast up into the air. All Might, having jumped into the air after Nomu, seized him by the wrist with both hands and began spinning as quickly as he was able, feeling the bones begin to crack under his iron grip before he hurled him towards the ground, causing the concrete around Nomu to break apart. Before Nomu could do anything, All Might himself made contact with the ground, now standing right in front of his opponent.

"**And now for a lesson. You may have heard these words before, but I'll teach you what they really mean!" **All Might brought his fist back. "**Go beyond! PLUS…**" All Might dug his fist deep into Nomu's body.

"**_ULTRAAAAAAA_****!**" Nomu was sent flying at such a fast speed and with the force of the attacks, that he smashed right through the roof, destroying the lights and electronics in a massive explosion that rocked the dome. Everyone in the USJ could feel it, while Nomu's body continued to soar into the sky, and disappeared into the vast blue heavens.

"Holy shit," Setsuna exclaimed.

"That power's insane," Itsuka said in wonder.

"That was like a finishing move a fighting game," Hyde mumbled in awe.

"So manly…" was all Tetsutetsu could utter, manly tears streaming down his face.

"He must've been moving and hitting that thing so fast it wasn't able to regenerate," Honenuki noted.

_'__He truly is the best,'_ Todoroki thought.

_'__That's what it takes to be number,' _Bakugo thought.

"He did it…" Izuku said as he looked at the smoke stack where All Might stood, his lips forming a weak smile.

[Now I understand why you admire him so much.] Ddraig sounded to be in awe somewhat.

"**I suppose I have gotten weaker,**" All Might admitted. "**In my prime, six to eleven hits would've been enough to knock that guy out. But today…**" All Might pressed his fist up to his chest. "**It took well over 500 mighty blows!**"

Steam began to form from All Might's neck. _'_**_Time's up. I need to finish this quickly._**_' _The Number 1 Hero turned towards Tomura and Kurogiri. "**You've been bested, criminals. Now surrender, we all want to get this over with quickly.**"

Shigaraki shook in rage. His Nomu wasn't able to kill _anyone_! Not those heroes. Not those brats. Not even All Might! "No, no, no!" He muttered as he violently scratched his neck. "You've gotten weaker?! What I just saw disproved that! Was Master wrong?"

_'_**_Master?_**_'_ All Might thought before continuing his taunts. "**Not gonna try and get me? You did say you wanted to clear the level. If you can take me, bring it on!**"

Ibara, accompanied by Liana, Momo, Setsuna, and Itsuka, rushed over to Izuku and Tsubasa. "Are you okay, Izuku?" Ibara asked.

"I'm fine… just tired," Izuku replied. "And my arm's still broken."

That got a chuckled out of the girls. "Just hold still," the vine haired devil began using Twilight Healing on his arm.

"Looks like we don't have anything to worry about, huh?" Setsuna said with a cheeky grin.

"Getting involved would just put us in the way." Itsuka nodded. "Let's head back to the entrance."

"Yes," Momo agreed.

"Hold on," Liana looked over and All Might. "Is it me or does All Might look a little… off?"

"Off?" Tsubasa raised an eyebrow as she and the others looked at All Might.

Izuku's eyes narrowed at what he saw. "She's right. All Might is shaking. And is that steam?"

Momo's eyes widened in worry. _'He's reached his limit. If we noticed then…'_ she glanced over toward the villains.

_'__Steam…?'_ Shigaraki stopped scratching, having noticed that same thing. Though it was hard to see with the smoke, All Might was, indeed, steaming. Shigaraki's cracked lips formed into a grin once again. _'Maybe Sensei was right. If he's hit his limit, then he really has weakened! Enough for us to kill him!'_

"Kurogiri, deal with the children," Shigaraki ordered. "Muscular, we'll finish off All Might."

Said villain looked at Shigaraki in surprise.

"Why are you gawking? This is our best chance."

Muscular nodded and smiled as Shigaraki blitzed All Might.

"Time to die, he-" A bolt of green, fired from the right and hit Shigaraki in the gut. The villain gaged in pain as he tumbled along the ground before straightening himself.

Snarling, he turned his furious gaze to the students, which was where the blast came from. Izuku had fired a Dragon Shot. Despite the pain he was feeling, Izuku grinned in victory at Shigaraki before he collapsed again.

This only served to piss the League of Villain's leader off. "You brat…!" Shigaraki hissed. But before he could do anything…

_*BANG!*_

A gunshot later and there was a bloody hole in Shigaraki's hand.

"What the he-" more gunshots sounded, piecing Muscular's limbs, causing him to fall back from the pain and shock.

Momo and the others gasped, before turning their heads towards the sound of the bang. Everyone looked at the entrance. All Might grinned with relief. "**They're here.**"

And by them, he meant the Pros.

"Sorry, everyone! I know we're a bit late," called out U.A.'s principal. "But I got the teachers over here as fast as I could." True enough, standing at the top of the USJ's staircase with the principal were the teachers of U.A.

"Shigaraki... I believe it's time for us to escape," Kurogiri said, nervously. Shigaraki grumbled something but nodded as Kurogiri warped him and Muscular away to safety.

"I may have failed this time, but your days are numbered!" the blue-haired villain yelled at All Might. "All Might, Symbol of Peace! I _am_ going to kill you!"

And with that, the villains vanished into the warp gate. It was all over.

* * *

Shigaraki, Kurogiri, and Muscular returned safely to their hideout. Their mission a failure, and now things will be even more difficult. U.A.'s security increase now, making it difficult to kill the Symbol of Peace there.

"We had it! We had a chance at getting All Might and we failed!" the Decay Quirk user yelled in an angry tone, slamming his good fist on the counter. "That damn dragon boy! How dare he!"

"Calm down, Shigaraki Tomura," Kurogiri reassured.

"Yeah, we lost," Muscular said as he sat down. "Get over it."

"Don't talk to me!" Shigaraki yelled.

_["_**_That's enough._**_"]_

Shigaraki instantly calmed down before turning to a television mounted on the wall. The words "Sound Only" were on display.

_["_**_Shigaraki, Kurogiri, Muscular. I take it from your tone that you failed to kill All Might?_**_"] _the voice asked.

"I'm afraid not, Master," Shigaraki admitted. "The Symbol of Peace didn't show until near the end. We managed to injure Thirteen, Eraserhead, and Vlad King, but the students were stronger than we expected. They manage to take down all the minions we sent. But there was one pest that should've been squash!" Shigaraki began to starch his neck again. "That damn dragon brat was able to fight against Nomu and stopped us from killing All Might!"

_["_**_Dragon?_**_"]_ the Master asked, intrigued.

"The Welsh Dragon," Shigaraki hissed. "He's a student at U.A.! Even though he's still a newbie, he fought evenly with Nomu!"

_["Speaking of the Nomu, where is he?"]_ Another voice asked.

"He was blown away," Kurogiri answered.

_["What?!"]_

"Without precise coordinates to where he landed, I couldn't bring him back with us."

_["This is a travesty!"]_ the second voice exclaimed. _["And after all the trouble we went through to make him as strong as All Might."]_

_["_**_Yes,_**_"]_ the Master agreed. _["_**_Though I suppose it can't be helped, unfortunately. Still, this wasn't a futile effort,_**_"]_ the master hummed, the sound of a machine beep accompanying it. _["_**_We learned much. Take all the time you need to gather more villains. I will remain hidden in the shadows which is why I need you as my face. A symbol of your own. Shigaraki Tomura, next time you will show the world why it should be afraid of you._**_"]_

* * *

Somewhere in an unknown location, the League's 'Master' ended his conversation with Shigaraki. The man dressed in a business suit with his face covered in the darkness. He had various tubes sticking out of his neck and jaw, helping him breathe.

"Well, that could've ended better," the only other occupant of the room commented. "It's disappointing we lost the Nomu."

"**Yes,**" Sensei agreed with the doctor. "**But we did learn that the Red Dragon Emperor is attending U.A. along with the devils and that sorcerer. We play our cards right and they could prove useful.**"

"Then should we accept the offer this 'Khaos Brigade' gave us, Master?" The doctor asked.

"**…No. Let's observe for now and see what happens.**"

"Very well," the doctor nodded. "By the way, I've just been informed that Lailah is in the city."

"**Oh?**" He smiled. "**And what brings her back?**"

* * *

An hour after the end of the battle, the police were in force at the USJ, arresting the villains that had been captured while taking statements from the students. Thirteen, Vlad King, Eraserhead, Izuku and Bakugo had been sent immediately to the infirmary, where Recovery Girl and several doctors on loan from Musutafu General Hospital were waiting. All Might had accompanied them to make sure they arrived safely to their destination.

Any other students who had received minor injuries were being tended to by the doctors present, Milia being one of them, a doctor applying rubbing alcohol to her fingertips.

As this was going on, a tall detective with short black hair was regarding the scene, glaring at the villains as they were put into special transports.

"Scum. As much as I hate having to say it this way, these children were lucky. Apart from a couple of them, all of the students appear to be physically unharmed."

"Tsukauchi-sama, we have an initial account from all the students still present here," one officer stated.

"Good. Let's have the students return to their classrooms for now," Tsukauchi ordered.

"We won't be questioning them right away, then?" Another officer asked.

"No, these children have been through enough. Let them rest for a little while. We'll ask them later."

Several students approached Tsukauchi, worry clear on their faces. "Detective-sama," Tsuyu asked. "How are Aizawa-sensei and Kan-sensei?"

"Aizawa-sensei has suffered multiple fractures in both arms, as well as a facial fracture. Fortunately, there does not seem to be any serious damage, but his orbital floor broke in small pieces, and his eyes may suffer from aftereffects. Kan-sensei, fortunately, only suffered damage to his arms along with several bruises, although he will have to be given blood to counter his blood loss," One of the doctors still on-site revealed.

"Kero…" Tsuyu said in a sad tone.

"What about Thirteen?" Itsuka asked.

"She's already undergoing treatment. Whoever treated the lacerations from her back to her upper arm did an amazing job," Tsukauchi answered. "After getting Recovery Girl's treatment, Thirteen should be back on her feet by tomorrow."

Almost everybody sighed in relief.

"What about our classmates?" Iida asked.

"Your classmates will be fine," Tsukauchi reassured. "From what I have been told, Bakugo has it the worst, a broken back along with several other major injuries," he then turned to Ibara. "What you did likely saved his life."

Ibara sighed in relief, glad that Bakugo will live. As much as she hated him, she knew he doesn't deserve to die. "What about Izuku-san?" She asked.

"Yeah, is Midori okay?" Mina asked.

"Izu-kun…" Ochako mumbled.

"The worst he has is a broken arm. That, and the extreme case of exhaustion," Tsukauchi answered. "I've been told that he will be fine with some rest and treatment."

"Thank you, Detective-sama," Everyone said, smiling in relief, as the officers began to guide them to the buses that would take them to their classrooms.

Tsukauchi turned to his assistant, a young man with the head of a cat. "Sansa-kun. I still have some business in the nurse's office. I'll leave this to you, 'kay?"

"Yes, sir!" Sansa saluted.

Some of the girls looked at Sansa in bewilderment.

_'__A cat?'_

_'__Cat cop?'_

_'__Aw, look at his bell!'_

_'__How cute!'_ Mina, Setsuna, Ochako, and Pony all thought.

As he walked to his car, Tsukauchi was stopped by another policeman. "Someone thought to be involved in this attack was just apprehended in a wooded area nearby."

Tsukauchi gasped and turned to the officer. "Report."

"He has no apparent injuries. He's currently cooperating, but he hasn't said a word yet. We're unsure if he can even speak."

Tsukauchi then noticed Nezu, Midnight, and Snipe walking out of the USJ. "Principle!" He approached them and took his hat off. "I'd like to investigate every inch of the school, just to be safe."

"Of course, please do!" The Principle said with arms up. "You'll have full access to the campus. We definitely need your assistance on this matter. I don't care who makes a fuss. You have my blessing."

"Sir!" The four turned to the cop running up to them. "There's… something I think you should know."

"What is it?" Tsukauchi asked.

"Last week, we… received a tip saying that villains were planning to invade U.A.'s campus, sir," the cop explained.

The eyes of Tsukauchi and the heroes all widened in shock. Someone knew of the attack a week beforehand. "Who filed the tip?" Midnight asked.

"No file was opened," the cop explained.

"Why not?" Tsukauchi asked.

"…We didn't find the information credible."

"…What about now?" Snipe snarked.

"See if you can locate the tipper, whoever it was," Tsukauchi ordered.

"Sir!"

Nezu silently lowered his head in thought. _'First a tip regarding All For One's survival. Now a tip forewarning this villain attack. And Iida's testimony regarding someone aiding him fight off the Wrecking Crew… Someone's playing a complex game.'_

* * *

Later on in the day, Izuku let out a groggy groan as he woke up. He opened his eyes and looked around. He was in the nurse's office, lying on a medical bed, and Recovery Girl was looking at them. "Ah, good. You're awake," the old lady said. "How are you feeling?"

"Still a little tired, but I'm fine," Izuku answered. "Are Aizawa-sensei and Vlad King okay? And Kacchan?"

"Aizawa and Kan are in a neighboring room," Recovery Girl replied, walking over to her desk. "As for Bakugo, he woke up a little bit ago good as new. He left not long after without saying a word."

_'__He's okay,'_ Izuku mentally said.

* * *

By the time Izuku was allowed to leave, night had fallen. Izuku, right arm wrap in bandages with a cast to support it, walked along the empty hallways. Once he exited the building, Izuku was happily surprised to see the ORC along with some of his classmates waiting for him.

And in a split moment, Rias bolted towards him wrapping her arms tightly around him, burying her face into the crock of his neck. Izuku had just barely kept his balance in check after his master practically tackled him. He opened his mouth to say something, but his words ended up caught in his throat. So instead, he simply hugged her back as best he can.

"You're OK," Rias whispered. She sounded to be on the verge of tears.

"Yeah," Izuku nodded.

"I was so worried," she said, pulling herself back with her hands still on his shoulders. "When Momo and the others told me what happened…" whatever Rias was about to say died in her throat. Instead, she simply hugged him again, with Ibara and Ochako soon joining.

Jealous glares from Ravel, Mina, Tsubasa, Milia, Itsuka, and Setsuna quickly died, the girls just being grateful that everything was over.

"You had us worried, man," said Hyde.

After reassuring that Izuku was okay for the most part, the small group went their separate ways, with only the ORC remaining.

As they walked, Izuku couldn't help but notice how quiet Ravel was. "Is something wrong, Ravel-chan?" He asked.

Ravel stayed quiet for a second before saying anything. "Is it true?" She asked.

Knowing what she meant, Izuku nodded. "Yeah, there's no mistaking it. Nomu had the Phenex's immortality."

Ravel looked more than disturbed by Izuku's answer, as were the others. "Are you sure?" She asked.

"Yes," Ibara nodded. "After Todoroki-san froze some of his limbs, Nomu broke them off and they regenerated in seconds, the same way Riser regenerates," she said, recalling the fight between Rias and Riser during the Rating Game.

"How is that possible?" Yuuto asked.

"My older brother, Rivalz Phenex, disappeared about a year ago," Ravel explained. "As much as I hate to admit it, but that Nomu you fought… might've been him."

An unsettling silence fell upon them. Questions began to swirl, some of which they didn't want answers to. That silence though was broken by Kyoka. "Uh, well it might've been some Quirk," she suggested. "Just because it looks like a Phenex's immortality doesn't mean it is."

"She right," Rias nodded, placing a hand on Ravel's shoulder. "I'll inform my brother what happened and he can have someone investigate. For now, let's go home. It's been a long day."

* * *

Bakugo Katsuki growled angrily as he got off the train. Other than Deku, he was the most injured student during the whole "USJ Incident" as the press began calling it. He didn't remember much, just that stupid bird villain hitting him hard and then waking up with Vine Hair over him, using some wired second Quirk to heal him.

As much as he hated to admit it, he probably be dead now if it wasn't for her. That didn't mean he'll thank her. Recovery Girl was the one who finished the job, not one of Deku's girlfriends. Which brought him to the main reason he was mad. During that whole mess, Deku managed to do more than him.

_'__Whatever that bastard did to go up against that Bird Brain villain defiantly isn't a regular Quirk,' _he mentally hissed. He still remembered how Deku slipped that his power wasn't a Quirk the other day. He didn't believe that bullshit, of course, but after seeing that… Katsuki honestly didn't know what to think anymore.

In just a few short weeks his entire world view had been turned upside down, starting from when he found out he scored fifth in the entrance exam. And it was all somehow connected to Deku!

"Damnit, everything pisses me off!" He screeched as he got home. He was about to open the door but paused. Odds are the old hag and old man were waiting inside for him. Sighing in contempt at what the hag will likely do, he opened the door.

"I'm back!" He called into the house, dropping his bag and removing his shoes. "Look, hag, I know what you're gonna say. So just get it over wi-"

Bakugo Mitsuki then did something that Katsuki never would've saw coming. Instead of slapping him on the head, yell at him for being weak or something similar, the Bakugo matriarch…pulled him close and hugged him tightly, as if just loosening a bit would result in him dying.

"You're okay…" she sobbed, her voice quiet, tears of joy running down her face.

Katsuki honestly had no idea how to respond to this. He could only stand there dumbfounded as the old man also hugged him. Eventually, he returned his parents hug.

Nearby, a figure wearing a green yukata watch with a small smile.

* * *

Two of the Vatican's Exorcists, both of them wrapped in white cloaks, were walking away from the steps of the cathedral as they discussed the assignment the Pope had given them. Their cloaks hid their frames well but their faces were clearly youthful and feminine.

"I can't believe we're going to Japan! I haven't seen my old home in so long!" The brown-haired Exorcist beamed with enlightened optimism.

"Calm down," the blue-haired one said. "I know you're excited, but try to be serious. A fallen angel has stolen three Excaliburs. Our mission from the Lord is to retrieve them."

"An incredibly dangerous assignment," both girls stopped and turned. An older Exorcist, who appears to be in their late twenties, was approaching them. Like the two girls, her white cloak concealed her face, the only detail they could see being her blue eyes. "I certainly hope you can handle this."

"Sister Griselda!" The blue-haired exorcist exclaimed. "I didn't realize you had returned."

The older Exorcist nodded. "I just got back from Chile."

"Really? You finished inspecting the churches there?" A new voice spoke up. The three Exorcists looked around but didn't see anyone else. "Cuz I hear they've been bribing money from the locals. Can't let them ruin the already bad rep of the Church, can we?"

Griselda let out a long sigh of annoyance. "Osanne…"

"What? I'm just saying that not many people actually trust the Church these days. Not that I blame them." Someone jumped down from above and landed in front of them. It was another Exorcists, around the same age as Griselda. Unlike the others she had the hood of her cloak down, revealing her face. She was fairly attractive, with deep red eyes and long, golden hair that reached down to her waist.

"Eavesdropping again, Osanne?" Griselda asked her fellow Exorcist. "If you are then you have the time to accompany them to Japan, correct?"

"No, unfortunately," she sighed. "Need to head to New Orleans today. Something about a vampire hypnotizing people to make dioramas." The two young exorcists felt sweat-drops form on their heads. "Guess when you're immortal you do whatever you can to avoid boredom."

"I'd like to say that's different, but that's not the oddest thing I've ever dealt with," said Griselda.

"Well, we should be leaving," the brown-haired Exorcists said. "Our flight is scheduled for tonight and we can't be late. It was great seeing you, Osanne-sensei."

"Likewise, but before you leave, let me ask: Why'd you think the old geezer gave this assignment to you two? A couple of kids?"

"God Himself chose us for this, not the Pope."

"Oh, really? And how do you know that for sure? Did you see God Himself, or Michael for that matter?" The two young Exorcists didn't answer.

"Osanne…" Griselda groaned.

"I'm just saying, if Heaven was aware of the stolen Excaliburs, they would've sent someone more qualified. That tells me the Pope doesn't want to let them know and is sending you two because he sees you as expendable, even if you can wield Holy Swords."

Griselda sighed again, having come to a similar conclusion. "That may be true," the blue-haired Exorcist said. "But we can't let the fallen angels keep the Excalibur fragments."

"Well, you girls be careful," Osanne continued. "The area you're heading to is controlled by the Devil King's kid sister. One wrong move and we'll be in deep shit."

The two young exorcists nodded, ignoring Osanne's curse. "Anything else?" Griselda asked.

"Yeah. I heard that the Red Dragon Emperor has resurfaced in Japan. And he's joined the devils."

The two young Exorcists visibly paled at this. "Do you think that-"

"As if! He's a servant of the Devil Kings kid sister," Osanne said. "So I doubt they'd be looking for war. Kokabiel, on the other hand, defiantly will be. So I suggest you seek their help."

"Work with devils?!" The blue-haired Exorcists exclaimed.

"You're gonna have to," Osanne replied. "Word on the grapevine is that the monster who killed Christos is in Japan also."

The three Exorcists all gaped in shock, Griselda most of all. But her shock soon gave way to anger. "Are you sure?" She asked quietly, but her voice was seething with rage.

Osanne nodded. "Yeah. And, while there's no evidence, I heard that she's working with the fallen angel who stole the Excaliburs."

Without warning, Griselda turned around and stormed her way towards the Pope.

The two younger Exorcists could only watch in surprise while Osanne shook her head. "And there she goes."

"Now I'm worried," the brown-haired Exorcist admitted.

"Don't worry," said Osanne. "Just be careful, and try not to do anything stupid."

* * *

**AN:**

**Annnnd, scene! We have now officially made it through the USJ! Ugh, this was a nightmare to write. This chapter nearly killed me! I went back and forth on whether Izuku should go Balance Break or not to fight Nomu or have All Might fight Nomu like in canon. I eventually decided to do the Balance Break just so I can finish this damn chapter.**

**Another thing I debated on was the arc after this. Should it be the Sports Festival or the DxD arc covering the Excaliburs? I figured that since the Sports Festival takes place about two weeks after the USJ, I can use those two weeks for the Excalibur arc.**

**So, with 55 out of 84 votes (so disappointed with the total amount) the winner of the poll is Izuku. No surprise there. Does this mean that Izuku will get the Quirk? …Maybe. Maybe not.**

**Also regarding Nomu, he's a bit stronger than he was in canon due to… certain reasons. Since All Might still have One for All at this point he's still as strong as he was at the beaconing of MHA canon, even though he had a little more trouble here.**

**See you next time. PLUS ULTRA!**


	26. The Vengeance Fueled Knight

**AN: Just realized that it's almost been one year since I first posted this story on AO3. Back then I wasn't expecting so many people to love this, or to get this far. A lot can happen in that time, huh?**

**Hope you all enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Classes were canceled for the next few days after the attack. As such most of the students stayed home to rest and recover from the ordeal they had been through. News about the 'USJ Incident' had been on all morning, as Izuku found out as he flipped through the channels. If he was being honest he hoped that Ravel wasn't watching the news, especially if the news ever talked about the Nomu. The fact it had the Phenex family's immortality was disturbing, to put it mildly.

A gentle yawn then drew his attention, a certain brunet walking into the living room in her PJs and bedhead. "Morning," she greeted.

"Good morning," Izuku greeted. "Sleep well?"

Ochako nodded in response when an unpleasant scent caught her attention. "Is something burning?"

"Kyah!" That was all the answer they needed.

Running into the kitchen, Izuku and Ochako found a coughing Ibara, her face slightly black and a frying pan on the floor, surrounded by a smoking black substance. "Burnt rice again?" Ochako asked, slightly amused.

"I almost had it that time," Ibara lamented as she turned the stove off.

"Well, at least you didn't set off the fire alarm… again," Izuku tried to reassure.

It helped a little, though Ibara still had a dejected look as they cleaned up the mess. As the finished, the chime of Izuku's phone suddenly went off. Checking, Izuku saw that a number he didn't recognize was calling him.

"Uh, hello?" He answered.

_"{Hello, Izuku.}"_ A familiar and friendly voice greeted.

Izuku's eyes widened in shock, a small bit of sweat dripping down his head. "S-Sirzechs-sama!?" He gasped, the two girls gasping when they heard the name. "How'd you get my number?"

_"{That's not important right now.}"_ Sirzechs replied.

_'He dodged the question.'_

_"{Tell me, are you and everyone else in Rias' peerage free today?}"_ Sirzechs sounded rather serious.

"Uh, yeah…" Izuku hesitantly answered.

_"{Good!}" _The Devil King continued._ "{Kudelia and Sona have already organized everything, so all we need to do is wait for you to bring Rias here later today.}"_

"W-Wait, what's going on?" Izuku asked. "Bring her to what? To where?"

_"{I suppose she did forget.}"_ Sirzechs chuckled before he explained. As he did, Izuku's eyes widened in surprise.

* * *

Later that day, Rias led the ORC through the streets of Musutafu, specifically in the Tatooin district. "Is it around here?" Ochako asked.

"That's what Kudelia told me," Rias replied. "She and Sona should already be there. The owner is one of Kudelia's regular clients and he's agreed to reserve the bar for the afternoon for us, to get our minds off what happened yesterday."

"…So, what exactly do you do at a karaoke bar?" Ravel asked.

"You sing and have fun, nothing to it," Kyoka answered.

"And we get the entire bar to ourselves for the afternoon!" Ochako happily added. "I hope they have songs done by MAN WITH A MISSION and LiSA!"

"I wonder if they have songs by Larval Stage Planning and Porno Graffitti?" Said Yuuto.

"I'm personally hoping for some of Suzuki Masayuki's songs," Rias said, a teasing look in her eye as she glanced at Izuku. The boy blushed in response.

Soon they arrived at their destination; Max Rebo's Karaoke. It was built right next to the station, the exterior having the appearance of being made of sandstone, torn and tatted cloth hanging from a neon sign.

"I'm almost afraid of what Kudelia has planned," Rias muttered as she opened the door. The lights of the bar were off, for some reason, but Rias was able to make enough details to note several things off. Brightly colored boxes laid out on a table, along with about a dozen boxes from Pizza Hut, and a banner hanging from the ceiling.

_'Wait, happy birthday?'_

"SURPRISE!"

POF!

POF!

POF! POF!

POF!

Behind her, Ochako, Ibara, and Izuku yelled at the same time as the lights turned on, confetti poppers startling Rias enough to make her jump. "Happy Birthday Rias-buchou!" Everyone from the ORC, Student Council, and Newspaper Club declared. There was a poster with the words 'Happy Birthday Rias' the table with food and party favors that were no doubt made by her family's chefs, and red balloons and ribbons decorated all around the house. Fitting for the Crimson-Haired Princess of Ruin.

"Wha…" she blinked before it finally hit her. Chuckling, Rias could only smile. "I can't believe I forgot my own birthday."

"We figured you did," Kudelia smiled. "After what happened yesterday, we figured now's a good a time as any to relax. And what better way than on your birthday!"

"Since it was at short notice, not all of us were able to get you gifts," Sona added.

Rias smiled as she shook her head, "It's fine, Sona. Just having everybody here is good enough."

"And what's a celebration without a celebratory cake?" Rias gasped when she head her brother's voice. The small crowd moved apart as trolly carrying a large birthday cake with candles lit strolled towards the birthday girl, pushed by none other than her brother Sirzechs.

Trailing behind him was Grayfia, only instead of the maid outfit, she wore a black shirt with golden-caramel accents at the edges with two light golden trims going down the shirt, the shirt itself splitting slightly above her stomach. A long, cyan scarf was wrapped around her neck and reacher her hips. She also was wearing blue jeans with a white outline at the top.

Next to her was a man and woman, both seemingly round the same age as Sirzechs. The man had long crimson red hair tied in a loose ponytail with a black hairband, bright blue eyes, and a short and red stubble. He wore a white suit with gold accents and black cuffs.

The woman was strikingly similar to Rias, only with shorter flaxen hair and violet eyes. She wore an elegant looking white dress that didn't leave much to the imagination with her hourglass figure.

From Sirzechs' right, a small kid ran towards them. He was a cute-looking young boy wearing dress clothes with short crimson red hair and red eyes. "Happy birthday, Rias!" The boy shouted, jumping and hugging the crimson-haired girl.

Rias smiled and hugged the small boy back. "I missed you Millicas! I wasn't expecting any of you here, though," she admitted.

"Of course," Sirzechs chuckled, "I haven't missed any of your birthdays yet. At least give me credit for that."

"Wait, is this pipsqueak your brother?" Kyoka asked, a question some of the others had.

Rias turned around, the boy still in her arms and shook her head, a smile on her face. "No, this isn't my little brother. He's my nephew," she explained to Kyoka and the newer members of her peerage.

"Your nephew?" Ibara asked curiously.

"Go ahead and introduce yourself," Grayfia said as she walked up.

"Yes, mother."

_'MOTHER!?'_ Izuku, Ibara, Ochako, Momo, and Kyoka all thought as he backed away from Rias and stood in front of the group.

He held his hands in front of him and smiled pleasantly at them. "Hello. My name is Millicas Gremory, and it's a pleasure to meet you," Millicas introduced himself, offering his hand which Izuku took and shook politely.

"I-It's a pleasure to meet you, too," Izuku politely said as he shook the young Gremory's hand. "I wasn't expecting Sirzechs-sama to have a son… or for Grayfia-san to be his wife," he added.

"I do my best to keep him in line," Grayfia commented, causing Sirzechs to laugh nervously.

"You must be Rias' new servants," the man said as he walked up to the group. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you all. I'm Zeoticus Gremory, Rias' father," he said politely as he held out his hand. Izuku nervously accepted it. "Thank you for taking care of my daughter."

"O-Of c-course s-sir," Izuku weakly stuttered. As Zeoticus began greeting the others, Izuku's attention then turned to the flaxen-haired women. "I didn't know you had a sister, Buchou," Izuku stated, glancing towards Rias as he said this. The flaxen-haired woman chuckled light-heartedly in response while Rias sighed and pressed her palm on her forehead.

"I'm flattered you think so," the woman said with a stunning smile before glancing at Rias. "I like him already."

A noticeable blush appeared on Rias' cheeks as she gestured to the young woman before them. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet my mother," she muttered quietly, avoiding eye contact with any of them.

The newer members of Rias' peerage did a double-take at that. "I'm so delighted to meet all your new friends, Rias," Rias' mother said. "I'm Rias' mother, Venelana Gremory." She formerly greeted.

"I-I'm Midoriya Izuku," he greeted. "I-I'm sorry i-if I o-o-offended you, Lady Gremory. I-I j-just wasn't e-expecting…"

"For someone like me to be a mother?" she finished with no hint of being offended in the slightest. Rather, her smile broadened at his comment. "Don't worry about it. I'm flattered in fact. To hear a cute young man like you mistake me for my daughter makes me very happy. I can see why my daughter likes you." She cupped her cheek with her hand and smiled her pretty smile as she said this.

_'Cute?!'_ Izuku thought while Rias' blush intensified until it reached the same color as her hair.

*Flash!*

Before anyone could react, Zeoticus had pulled out a small camera which he pulled up to his face and took a picture of Rias' blushing face. "There we go. What a nice face, Ria. I'll be sure to add this to the album…" he chuckled warmly. "And look, I managed to get Izuku in the shot!"

"F-Father please!" Rias stuttered.

"Now dear, don't embarrass Rias too much now," Venelana said sweetly as she lowered the camera in her husband's arms. "It _is_ her birthday."

"R-Right," Zeoticus started to sweat nervously.

_'That's Buchou's mom, alright…'_

"Then what are we waiting for?" Kudelia suddenly called. "Let's get this party started!"

* * *

"_Raise your flag! _"

" _koe no kagiri _"

" _koe no kagiri _"

" _koe no kagiri sakende _"

Izuku smiled as Ochako, Tsubasa, Cammie and, surprisingly, Milia sang. He was sitting at a table with Rias, Yuuto, Ibara, Koneko, Ravel, Momo, Kyoka, and Millicas, the younger boy sitting in-between Rias and Ibara. Kyoka seemed really invested in the song.

As the four girls sang, the other party guests were enjoying themselves with other activities. Sona and Kudelia were playing chess, with Saji, Tsubaki, and Tomoe cheering for Sona while Tye, Alexandra, and Jessie cheered for Kudelia. Hanakai and Ruruko seemed to be arguing about something at the soda fountain, with Nanase having trouble getting the drink she wanted.

Makoto just hung back, not taking part in the party at all.

The adults were sitting at the bar, chatting while the bartender served them drinks, nonalcoholic of course as this establishment catered to minors.

"If you want to, you can sing next Kyo-chan," Momo said, a teasing look in her eye.

Kyoka began to blush and stammer in response. "We'd agreed to never use nicknames in public!" She hissed, causing the mature-looking girl to giggle.

"You can sing, Kyoka-san?" Izuku asked.

"Uh, well…" Kyoka's blush seemed to deepen, her fingers tapping her earphone jacks.

As she did this, Millicas stared curiously at her earphone jacks. "Millicas, it isn't polite to stare," Rias gently reprimanded.

"Oh, sorry," the young devil apologize. "I didn't mean to, it's just… this is the first time I've seen Quirks up close."

"Really?" Izuku asked.

"Yes," Millicas nodded. "I've only been to the human world a few times, so I hardly ever see Quirks," the young devil boy said as he turned to Ibara. "Are those thorns on your vines sharp?"

"No, they're blunt," Ibara explained. "They hurt a little bit if I lay down on them, but they're harmless otherw-" As she explained, Millicas snatched a vine in his fingers and was fiddling around with it.

"You're right. They are blunt."

"P-Please don't touch those," she whimpered as her face erupted into a blush.

"Oh, I am so sorry!" Millicas let go of the vine. "I forgot that it's hair!"

"It's f-fine," Ibara said as she held onto the vine. "You just caught me off guard."

"It's always interesting seeing Quirks up-close," the group at the table looked up to see Sirzechs standing over them. "I always enjoy coming to the human world because I always see something new."

"Father!"

"How long have you been there?" Rias asked.

"Long enough," Sirzechs replied. "I'm afraid I have to leave early. It's a shame, too. I was hoping to do at least one song."

"You're leaving already?" Millicas asked, disappointed.

"I'm afraid I have no choice in the matter. Something urgent has come up. Can I speak with Izuku and Rias for a moment?"

Izuku and Rias briefly glanced at each other before they got up and followed. Once the three were at the entrance, Sirzechs looked to them a serious look in his eyes.

"I'll get to the point," he said, the tone of his voice unnaturally serious. "This creature you fought, are you certain it had the Phenix's immortality?"

Izuku, tough a taken a little off-guard from the change in Sirzechs tone, nodded. "Yes, sir."

Sirzechs shook his head. "I see," he sighed. "I need to get back to the Underworld to help with reopening Rivalz Phenix's disappearance… as well as tell the family about this development." Rias and Izuku both winced at that. "Since it's still Grayfia's day off, make sure she enjoys the rest of your birthday party, okay Ria?"

"Of course," Rias nodded.

"Good," Sirzechs smiled. "And Izuku… now seems to be a good time to give her your present," he added before leaving.

Izuku quickly glanced at Rias, who was looking at him with sparkling eyes. "Uh… One sec!" Izuku quickly ran to where the presents were being kept and came back with a red and green wrapped box. "Happy birthday," Izuku handed the box to Rias.

The box wasn't big, just the right size to fit in her arms, and it wasn't that heavy either. When she opened it, she gasped in shock at what was inside. "These are…" she gently pulled out one of the objects as if it was the most delicate thing in the world. "The limited-edition _Phoenix Ranger Featherman Victory_ complete figurine set?!"

"It's the set you've wanted to get when we were supposed to be on our d-d-date," Izuku explained. "When Sirzechs-sama called today I asked what you would want, and he said that you've been looking for these figurines. Ibara and Ochako helped buy them, so this is a gift from the three of us."

Rias' smile honestly looked downright adorable, a dorky grin that can compete with Izuku's. Without warning, Rias leaned in and pressed her lips on his, kissing him. It lasted for about a second before she pulled away.

"Thank you, Izuku."

Then, just as quickly as it happened, Rias pulled back, turned on her heel, and went to rejoin the party. Izuku stood in absolute shock as he raised a hand to his cheek, fingers just grazing where Rias had kissed him for a second time, memories of the first kiss flooding back, causing his head to turn a certain shade of red. And yet… he felt unnaturally warm, and tingly. That warmth quickly spread throughout his body, a huge smile splitting his face.

* * *

By the time the part was over the sun began to set. After saying their goodbyes to the rest of the Gremory family, the three young devil peerages went home. As the ORC walked through the streets, they chatted happily about the part, from the gifts they got Rias to the songs they sang.

"That was so much fun!" Ibara happily said. "I always wanted to sing something other than Bible verses."

"Good thing you didn't do that," Koneko said, eating a slice of cake she saved.

"I actually enjoyed myself," said Ravel. "I didn't think karaoke would be so fun."

"Thank you, everyone, for today," Rias said, holding onto the Featherman figurines she got. "Though I am surprised that Inko and Mizu didn't show up. I figured that Mizu has meetings at U.A. because of what happened, but Inko…" she stopped when she noticed the looks Izuku, Ibara, and Ochako all had.

The three were shaking uncontrollably, all color draining from their faces. "Crap, we forgot to tell her…" Ochako said.

"She won't be happy to have missed Buchou's birthday," Ibara stated.

Izuku audibly gulped.

"I'm… sure she won't be too mad," Yuuto tried to reassure.

"If anything, I'll take the blame," Rias said. "It was my failure to tell you about my birthday. I'm sure she'll understand."

"I hope you're right," Izuku replied.

As it turned out, Inko was _not_ happy finding out she missed Rias' birthday.

* * *

By Monday, school was back in session. Everyone in Class 1-A talked about how they and 1-B received a few minutes of screen time on the news, even if it was because of something scary.

"Man, all the channels are making a big deal out of what!" Kaminari said as he turned his head behind him to talk to Kirishima.

"Yeah, bro, I was surprised. It made the headlines everywhere. I bet the entire country knows about it by now!" Kirishima said.

"It's not that surprising," Liana commented as she read her book. "U.A.'s Hero Course that has produced some of Japan's most promising heroes was attacked by villains out of nowhere. It'd be more surprising if it _didn't_ make the news."

"I'm just glad the pros showed up when they did," Sero said. "Who knows what could've happened to us and 1-B if they didn't."

"Why'd you say that?!" Mineta suddenly shirked. "I'm going to have nightmares for weeks-"

"SHUT UP!" Bakugo shouted, "IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE IT THEN LEAVE, GRAPE BITCH!"

The class continued to chatter until the bell rang and the door opened to reveal… Aizawa, completely covered in bandages from head to toe, his arms in casts. How he was walking was beyond them all. "Morning class," he greeted in his usual tone.

"Aizawa-sensei, what are you doing here?!" the entire class asked, shocked.

"What kind of crazy person teaches while like that?!" Hyde asked.

"Aizawa-sensei, I'm glad you're okay!" Iida said, shooting up his arm.

"Can you really call that 'okay'?" Ochako pointed out.

"My well being is not important right now," Aizawa stated, trying to go to his desk without falling to the floor. "And I'll pay back that 'crazy' comment later," Hyde flinched. "Your fight is not over yet."

"Fight?" Bakugo asked.

"Don't tell me…" Izuku wondered.

"Not more villains!?" Mineta almost shrieked.

The class waited with bated breath at what Aizawa meant. "The U.A. Sports Festival is drawing near," Aizawa simply stated.

Immediately, all the students hit their desks with their foreheads.

"Don't scare us like that!" They all yelled.

"Hold on, is it really okay to hold the sports festival right after villains attacked?" Kyoka asked in slight worry.

"Yeah. What if they attack again?" Tsubasa questioned.

"By showing that U.A. can proceed with this event without worry, it helps show that our crisis management system is solid," Aizawa explained. "Not to mention, security will be strengthened five-fold compared to last year. But that's nothing you all should be thinking about. What you should be focused on is that this event is a huge opportunity for you all. The U.A. Sports Festival is one of the biggest events in Japan. Hero agencies across the country will be watching to see what the top talent of U.A. have to bring to the table. This is one of only three opportunities you have to make a name for yourself. You can't miss it."

"Yeah, if we do well, we can get noticed by top agencies," Kirishima expressed.

"It'll make getting hired on as sidekicks super easy," Kaminari added.

"Yeah, but knowing you, you'll be stuck with that gig your whole life," Kyoka said.

"Did you really have to say that?"

"No, but I did it anyway," Kyoka snickered.

"There's one more thing that the sports festival will do." Aizawa continued, getting all the student's attention. "Prepare you for the International Heroic Students Competition, should you get in."

"The international tournament held every four years," Izuku noted.

"The tournament that has taken the place of the Olympics in terms of scale," Momo added.

"Correct… Getting in and competing is a once in a lifetime opportunity," Aizawa said. "The only requirement is either permission from your school or having a Provisional Hero License. As it'll take place in Tokyo this year, the competition to get one of the 10 spots to represent Japan will be fierce. Time is limited. If you expect to go Pro, then the path to your future will open up at these events. No aspiring heroes can afford to miss them. So, don't screw up." Aizawa finished.

"Yes, sensei!"

"Homeroom is dismissed."

* * *

The bell rang to signal the end of the fourth period, modern lit. After Cementoss stepped out of the class, it was lunchtime for Class 1-A and everyone's mind was on the Sports Festival

"Oh, man! This has me so freaking _pumped_ you guys!" among these, to no one's surprise, was Kirishima.

"Hell yeah, man!" Sero agreed, "If we manage to show off our stuff here, then that's one _huge_ step towards going Pro!"

This declaration sparked additional replies and soon there was a general ruckus from that corner of the room. Izuku smiled at seeing how excited his classmates were. "Seems like everyone's excited."

"Indeed!" Iida declared. "We all enrolled here to be heroes, so of course we would be fired up!"

"All the more reason to get excited," Tsubasa smiled in agreement.

"Izu-kun, Iida-kun, Yura-kun," said a voice from behind them, forcing them to turn around to see a serious face Ochako with pink aura surging all around her body, wearing a bloodthirsty grin "Let's do our best at the Sports Festival!"

They were all surprised at the sudden shift in tone. "U-Uraraka, are you okay?" Tsubasa asked.

"What the hell's with her?" Hyde asked, a little intimidated by Ochako's sudden change.

"I'm going to do my best!" roared Ochako as she raised her arms.

Still, her attitude was rather infectious, causing Izuku and the others to raise their arms in agreement. They soon made their way to the cafeteria, walking with Rias, Yuuto, Ibara, Milia, Itsuka, Yui, and Setsuna.

"Where's Momo and Kyoka?" Rias asked.

"They said they needed to be somewhere, and left early," Ochako answered.

Suddenly…

"**There you are, young Midoriya!**"

All Might appeared suddenly from a corner, surprising them all. They were still not used to the fact that the number one hero was actually here teaching.

"Wha- All Might?!" Izuku exclaimed.

"**Would you care… to eat lunch with me?**" asked All Might shyly.

"That's adorable!" giggled Ochako

Izuku looked at his friend before Rias gestured to him to go with All Might. Izuku blinked in surprise but nodded, following the Number One Pro to the teacher's lounge.

Once he entered the room after All Might, Izuku looked around, more than a little confused. "A-All Might, i-is there th-there a reason why…" he trailed off, noticing that there were two more occupants in the room. "Wha? Momo-san? Kyoka-san? Why are you here?"

"It's… a bit of a long story," Momo replied.

"You might wanna brace yourself," Kyoka warned.

"Huh? How come?"

_*Poof!*_

Izuku looked up, just in time to see All Might engulf in steam, leaving in his place, a skinny and emaciated man, coughing a small bit of blood.

"…HUH!?"

* * *

"Why do you think All Might called away Izu-kun?" Ochako wondered in slight worry. She and the others were already waiting in line in the cafeteria.

"Perhaps it's about the USJ incident," Iida suggested. "I heard that Midoriya-kun stopped that Shigaraki villain from attacking All Might."

"Oh yeah, that did happen," said Tsubasa. "Think it has something to do with that?"

"Possibly. Plus Midoriya packs a serious punch," Setsuna added. "The incredible amount of power that he can deliver may have interested All Might. Maybe he's even taken a liking to Midoriya," she hypothesized.

"Yeah, that could be it!" Ochako smiled, putting her fist into her palm.

"How lucky to have been noticed by his idol," Rias smiled.

What they hadn't noticed was that Todoroki was eavesdropping on their conversation, and looked rather interested. _'All Might… and Midoriya Izuku… what are they hiding?'_

* * *

Back at the teacher's lounge, Izuku was in the middle of a complete freakout. He had just been talking to his hero All Might, a giant of a man. A larger than life hero for the whole world. But he had taken his eyes off of the hero for only a second and now, an emaciated man stood in his place. "Wait…who…what happened? You deflated? Where did All Might go? You… you're not him. You're a fake, an imposter." He looked over at Momo and Kyoka shakily. "This is a joke, right? A prank? Funny. Hahaha!"

"T-Try to calm down, Izuku-kun," Momo reassured. "This isn't a prank, we promise. So please, sit down and listen."

All Might stood up straight, "I assure you, I am All Might. You know how guys at the pool are always sucking in and flexing to try and look all buff? I'm like that."

Izuku's mind was desperately trying not to shut down from what he was hearing. The only reason it hadn't yet was because of months being a devil.

"I'll get to the point. I wanted to thank you, Young Midoriya. If you hadn't stopped Shigaraki when you did, I would've been done for," Izuku was genuinely shocked by this. "I also wanted to give you an offer," All Might continued.

"An offer?"

"You don't have to accept it, and I'm not forcing you into anything, but this is kinda a big deal," All Might said. "I want you to be my successor."

There was a pause before Izuku leapt up in shock, "YOUR SUCCESSOR!?"

"Shhh!" was All Might's immediate response. "Please keep it down!"

Izuku nodded, placing a hand over his mouth.

"As I was saying, I want you to inherit my Quirk."

Izuku's jaw dropped slightly and his head tilted to the side. What did he just say? Inherit his Quirk?

"Hey hey what's with that look kid? I told you I had an offer for you. So you need to decide what you want to do."

"All Might I don't understand. What are you saying? That's…" Izuku trailed off, remembering just what he and Momo were. "Kinda hard to believe," he decided on.

"I don't blame you for having trouble believing this." All Might said. "Do you know what my Quirk is?"

"Your Quirk? No. I don't think anyone does. There are a bunch of theories out there but no one knows for sure. I know stuff like super strength and invulnerability are the two top runners. And whenever you get asked about it during interviews you always find a way to dodge the question."

"I do that so people will keep thinking I'm just like them. A regular person with a Quirk that became a hero. But the truth is there's nothing regular about me or my Quirk. I wasn't born with this power, it was passed to me."

"Passed to you?"

"That's right. My Quirk is like a sacred torch. It was passed to me a long time ago. And now I want to pass it on to you."

"Wait! Hold one, this is a lot to take in all at once!" Izuku said. "While there is a lot of debate on what your Quirk is, no one's ever been able to figure it out. There are endless online debates about it. …" Mumble, mumble, mumble.

As Izuku spiraled into a mumbling mess, All Might scratched the back of his head before looking at Momo and Kyoka. The two could only shrug sheepishly. "We… did warn you," Kyoka said.

"Uh… Young Midoriya?" When it became obvious that Izuku wasn't listening anymore, All Might leaned forward and clapped his hands together in front of Izuku's face, shocking the boy enough to get him to stop talking to himself.

Izuku looked around before sheepishly apologizing, "I'm sorry, I'm just having a hard time wrapping my head around this. It's just…" he stopped himself, remembering just what _HE_ is. "A lot to process."

"Understandable," All Might nodded. He went on to explain the true nature of his Quirk, One For All, that it was a Quirk that stockpiles power, having done so over several generations. He also went into detail his injury, how he lost a lung and his whole stomach, while his respiratory system was basically shot. He also explained how his injury gave him a limit to how much hero work he can do each day. Ever since the USJ, All Might can only use his power for about an hour and a half.

"I… honestly don't know what to say…" Izuku muttered, seemingly in a daze, before slowly turning to Kyoka and Momo. "When we first meet, you guys said that cleaning the beach was the suggestion of a friend. Was that…"

The two fidgeted slightly in response. "Yeah… that was All Might," Kyoka confirmed.

"We kinda… found out about all this by accident." Momo added. "We'll explain the details later."

"Young Midoriya," All Might began. "I understand that this is a bit much to process, and you don't have to accept this offer right away. I'm more than willing to wait for your answer. How about either before or after the Sports Festival? Will that work?"

"Uh, sure. That's enough time," Izuku nodded.

* * *

Izuku spent the rest of the day thinking about All Might's offer. He had plenty of time to mull it over, but still…

As he and the rest of 1-A got ready to leave, the stopped upon seeing a crowd right outside their door.

"What the heck!?" Ochako exclaimed in surprise.

"They're crowding the exit! What are they here for?" Mineta complained.

"They're scoping out the competition, Grape Bitch," Bakugo sneered as he walked towards the crowd. "We and 1-B made it out of the villain's attack in one piece, so they're checking us out before the U.A. Sports Festival."

While Mineta cried at the abuse, Bakugo glared at the crowd, who seemed to take a step back at his glare.

"It's pointless to do something like that," scoffed Bakugo. "Out of my fucking way, extras."

"Don't call people you don't know extra's right off the bat!" Iida lectured, his arms chopping the air as he did so.

"I came to see what Classes 1-A and 1-B were like, but you seem pretty arrogant. Are all of the students in the Hero Course like this?" A student with gravity-defying purple hair, and a worn out and tired face that could give Aizawa's a run for its money, said as he made his way to the front of the crowd.

"Did you know that a few people who enrolled in General Studies or other courses did so because they didn't make it into the Hero Course?" The student asked Bakugo who only grunted in response. "The school has left those of us a chance. Depending on the results of the Sports Festival, they'll consider our transfer into the Hero Course. And it seems they may also transfer people out."

Bakugo merely continued his glare before walking through the crowd.

"Oi, Bakugo, you can't leave it like this," Kirishima said. "They're going to hate us!"

"It doesn't matter," Bakugo shot back. "As long as you rise to the time, nothing else matters."

Seeing such simple but powerful words, the other students of 1-A nodded in agreement before walking out. The other students unconsciously stepped back to allow them room to walk out. Izuku turned to notice a similar size group crowding in front of 1-B. His mind turned to the two weeks left before the festival. He needed to make his decision by then.

* * *

Later at home, Izuku sat on the couch, reading over his notes on All Might. The pages dedicated to him had speculation on his Quirk is and it's limits. Now that he knew the truth it seemed all so trivial now. What's more unbelievable was that All Might actually offered to give him his Quirk!

Sighing, he closed the notebook and leaned back.

"Is something wrong, Izu-kun?"

He nearly jumped when he saw Rias standing over him. "Oh, no. I just have… a lot on my mind is all."

Rias smiled before plopping down on the couch next to him. "I understand. You've been through a lot recently. The Sports Festival is also coming up, but I get the feeling that's not it, is it?"

Izuku gulped. _'Crap. What do I tell her?'_

_*Ding-dong*_

Lucky for Izuku, the doorbell rang caught his and Rias' attention.

"Company right now?"

"Did you forget?" Rias reminded him. "After what happened at the USJ, all adjacent buildings are being inspected, including the club buildings, so we're having the club meeting here today. I told you that this morning before training."

"Oh, yeah. You did say that," Izuku blinked as he remembered.

"Alright then. Let's go and meet the others, shall we?" Rias smiled.

The two got up and went to greet everyone at the door. The rest of the club members were at the door, all dressed in casual clothes. "Hey, guys! Come on in!" Izuku greeted.

"Pardon the intrusion," Yuuto smiled as he and the others stepped into the apartment and removed their shoes.

"Oh, you have company over?" Inko asked, peering through the living room.

"Just for a club meeting, Inko," Rias clarified.

"Sorry for barging in, Midoriya-san," Momo bowed.

Inko smiled and nodded before she noticed Ravel. "Oh, who's this? I've never seen you before."

"I'm Ravel Phenex, ma'am," Ravel greeted. "My family and Rias' are acquaintances, and I've recently moved to Japan to study."

Inko nodded when a glint appeared in her eyes as a smile stretched on her face, "Oh, Izuku," she said as she looked to him, "can you prepare some drinks for our guests?"

"Sure mom," he obeyed, not catching the look in her eyes. He pulled out a carton of juice and glass cups, putting the cups on a tray, and pouring the juice into the cups. The second he walked back in the living room, he saw his peers crowding around as his mother presented pictures to them.

"What's… going on…?" he wondered.

"Hey, Izuku!" Kyoka called over, turning to him as she used her hand to cover her mouth as she tried to control her laughter, "I had no idea you were able to pass off as a girl!"

Instantly, Izuku's mind entered panic mode. "MOM! Don't show everyone those pictures!" Izuku cried out, running to get the pictures away from them.

"No, no, no!" Inko smirked as she put up her hand to stop him, "This is your punishment for not telling me about Rias-chan's birthday and is my gift to her. This is also part of your youth. You need to learn to live with it!" She took the tray from his jittering hands. "I'll just hand these out to your friends."

"Seriously," Kyoka snorted. "You once dressed up as a girl?"

"I'd… rather not talk about it."

"Izuku-senpai's embarrassing past," Koneko smirked as she and Ravel looked at another embarrassing photo.

Ravel chuckled. "What's the story for this one?" She asked Inko.

Inko only needed to glance at the photo to recall the event it depicted. "That's from when he tried to save a spider from being crushed, but it started crawling all over him." Ravel laughed while Koneko smiled in amusement.

"Izuku as a child… Izuku as a child… Izuku as a child… Izuku as a child…" Rias, stars in her eyes, was gushing and muttering in a mantra as she looked at the photo album. Ibara and Ochako sat with her, having similar expressions.

"Oh, I understand Buchou. Izuku-san is so cute!" Ibara cooed, stars in her eyes also.

"Kyah! Look at little Izu-kun playing hero in an All Might onesie!" Ochako squealed, her eyes having stars in them as well. "He looks like a little bunny! It's so cute, I can't stand it!"

"He is rather cute," Momo smiled as she looked at another photo album.

Izuku could only sigh before he turned to Yuuto, who too was laughing at a photo from another album. "Not you too, Yuuto-san," he groaned.

"Oh come on, Izuku-kun. It helps us get to know you better," the bishonen snickered as he flipped through the pages. As soon as he stopped at another page, his face turned to shock. "Izuku, can you tell me about this photo?" Izuku almost didn't hear Yuuto's voice starting to crack.

Izuku went over to look and had a sad look on his face. "Oh, that." The photos showed Izuku and another child with chestnut hair doing action poses straight out of Featherman. "That was the last photo we took before Rinchan moved away."

"Rinchan?" Yuuto asked with a raised eyebrow.

"She was a childhood friend. I tried to protect her from Kacchan once, and we became friends. We both loved heroes and she encouraged me to follow my dreams even though I was Quirkless," Izuku told him. "I wonder what she'd say if she saw me at U.A. now?"

"I see. But can you tell me about that sword over the fireplace?" Yuuto asked as he pointed to the object on the photo.

"It belonged to Rinchan's father. I tried to play with it once but he found out and scolded me, telling me that it isn't something kids should be playing around with. I think it was an old antique sword or something," he shrugged.

"That's no antique sword," Yuuto's response was filled with malice.

"Eh?" Izuku looked at his fellow devil and his eyes widen in shock at Yuuto expression.

It was filled with anger and hate.

"This is a holy sword."

"A what sword?" Izuku asked.

A low, angry chuckle escaped from Yuuto's throat, "Who would've thought I would encounter something like this here?" He handed the photo album to Izuku. "Thanks for the photos, man. It was… very informative."

"Um… okay?" Izuku said with an unsure look on his face. He hadn't seen an expression like that before. Even Bakugo never looked that angry.

* * *

Later that night, Izuku stood before the large doors of an apartment complex located in uptown Musutafu. Despite his mother showing everyone his baby photos, the meeting went on like normal, but Izuku noticed that Yuuto had that angry expression through it all. He figured that it had something to do with the sword Yuuto saw from the photo. He wanted to ask about it, but he had other things to do right now.

"Okay, time to go to work," Izuku said to himself to put his mind into focus. He lifted his hand to reach for the doorbell. As his finger was just centimeters away, a sudden chill went down Izuku's body. He let out a small gasp as his mouth started to tremble.

Something felt off. Steeling himself, he reached the doorbell and pushed it. He heard a loud chime echoed through the complex. The door opened halfway. Standing there was a tall man appearing to be in his twenties with black hair, golden bangs, and black goatee, wearing a dark-green yukata.

"Hello," Izuku greeted. "I'm the Devil you called for. I know that you were expecting me to appear out of the flyer, b-but I couldn't do that originally, and most of my early clients prefer for me to come like this, so it's become something of a habit. Sorry for any inconvenience."

"Well, I guess that doesn't matter," said the man, surprising Izuku for a moment. He was certain he was going to be criticized for showing up late or not being one of the girls. "Come on in, devil-boyo."

Walking into a dark room, Izuku was amazed by all of the nice furniture in the living room. Sitting down on one of the three sofas, he looked around the place and wonder who this person was. He didn't look like he was from Japan, despite the yukata. His thoughts were cut by the sound of a door opening. Looking its direction, Izuku saw the man standing at the doorway, holding up a silver tray that contained silver cups and sake. "Care for a drink?"

"No thanks," Izuku denied politely, "I'm still a minor."

"Really? Bummer," the man walked over to the sofa on the right of the one Izuku was sitting at. Something seemed off about him, but he wasn't able to put his finger on it. Perhaps its paranoia built up from mouths of unexpected situations popping up. "I was hoping to have a partner to drink with," he said after sitting down and pouring himself a glass of sake.

"Is that why you summoned me," Izuku asked.

"Is that a problem?"

"No, it's fine." Izuku held up a reassuring hand. "The contract will be formed when the request of the client is fulfilled and I receive a fitting compensation in return."

The man started setting out the cups and bottles. "Unfortunately, I only have sake," he said. "You okay with tab water?"

"Yeah, sure."

A few minutes later, and the man was buzzed from the sake. "Hahaha! So your magic was so weak you had to ride a bike to the people who summoned you?"

"Y-Yeah…" Izuku replied, taking a sip of water.

"Hahaha! That's hilarious!"

About a half-hour passed before the man ran out of sake. "Ah, that was fun. So what's the pay? I'm guessing you want my soul?"

"N-N-No! I-It doesn't work like that," Izuku said.

"Oh? Well, that's unexpected."

"Yeah, but I'm still going to need a payment."

The man then pointed with his thumb to the painting of flowers in a pot behind himself. "Will this do," he asked. "It's not a reproduction."

"Doesn't that seem kinda expensive?" Izuku asked, a little confused.

"I don't have anything else to pay you with at the moment." He then shrugged. "But if that's not good enough, then I still have my soul for the taking."

"N-No, the painting's fine."

* * *

Izuku walked out of the complex with the painting strapped to his back. _'I never expected to be paid like this just because I had a drink and talked with the client,'_ he thought. Just before Izuku was going to teleport back to the clubroom, his phone suddenly rang. Izuku glanced at the screen and saw Momo's caller ID]. "Momo-san, is something wrong?" Izuku said as he answered.

_"{Izuku-kun, good work on the contract,}" _Momo's voice said. _"{Sorry for calling on such short notice, but we've just received word about another stray devil in the city.}"_

"A stray?"

_"{Buchou and the others are already headed there. I'll send you the coordinates.}"_

"Got it. I'll see you there."

* * *

It didn't take too long for Izuku to reach the coordinates Momo sent. When he arrived the rest of the ORC, except for Kyoka, were present. They were standing in front of what looked like an old factory. "Sorry I had to make you come out, Izu," Rias said to him, her arms crossed with a serious expression.

"It's fine," he said, before looking at the abandoned building. "Is the stray hiding in there?"

"We believe so," Ravel said.

"Do we know anything about it?" Momo asked.

"Only that it's fast and can produce acid."

Rias smiled confidently. "Whatever it is, it's extremely dangerous. We shouldn't try to fight it inside." She looked towards the two Bishops. "Ibara, Ravel, you wait at the rear."

The two nodded. "Hai!/Yes, Ma'am!"

"Momo and I will be ready and waiting outside. So Koneko, Ochako, Yuuto, and Izuku will have to draw it out."

"Understood," Momo said.

"Right," Koneko said.

"Got it," Ochako said.

"Okay," Izuku said before drawing out his Boosted Gear.

However, when Rias looked towards Yuuto, she noticed that he seemed to be deep in his own little world. Thinking heavily on something. "Yuuto?" she asked.

As the others looked at him with confusion, it took a solid second for him to snap out of it and answer. "Yeah. Right. Got it," he responded quickly before running toward the building, something he doesn't do when being given orders.

Izuku, worried for Yuuto, follows him with Koneko and Ochako close behind. When they approached the closed metal doors, they stopped. Ochako and Koneko glanced at the other before nodding.

They walked up to the door, brought their arms back, and swung their fists forward.

_*BAM!*_

The power of the two Rooks broke the doors off their hinges and sent them to the floor. What they saw next, however, gave them pause.

"Are… are those… spider webs?" Ochako hesitantly questioned. What appeared to be enormous spider webs were strung all across the walls and ceiling.

Eyes narrowing, Izuku went in. "Stay close," Ochako and Koneko nodded, while Yuuto lagged behind.

As the four explored the abandoned warehouse, they failed to notice that they weren't alone. There was something crawling on the ceiling above them quietly, keeping a close eye on them with ominous purple eyes.

They came to a halt when they came across a wall of webbing, but they gave an audible gasp at what was _in_ the webbing. People! More than a dozen of them, and… they were all dead. No, 'dead' was putting it mildly; they were butchered! Severed limbs laid on the ground as heads were stuck on the webbing, some bodies were cut in half with the upper halves stuck on the web and hanging like trophies while other limbs, the lower halves of the bodies, and even some organs laid on the ground, rotting with flies buzzing all around.

Koneko nearly gagged at the sight, while Ochako did her best to not throw up.

"My god…" Izuku muttered as he covered his mouth to swallow the bile that was building up in his throat, ignoring the pain he received from what he said.

"God had nothing to do with this."

Acting on instinct, Izuku turned and fired a Dragon Shot at the source of the unknown voice behind them, but the entity leaped back to avoid hit. It was defiantly a she, a fairly attractive woman in her mid-twenties.

She has a curvy figure, with very large breasts, a thin waist, and wide hips. She has fair skin, with her hair being shoulder-length and pale gold in color. Her eyes were a brilliant purple color, with two smaller eyes above them, given her six in total. She wore a black halter top with a gold and purple trim, black dress pants and dark purple knee-high boots. Her most notable feature, though, was the four long spider-like legs on her back.

She gave an amused hiss as she shot webbing from her palms at Izuku. Izuku didn't have enough time to react as some webbing pinned his left arm to the ground. "Izuku-senpai!" Koneko cried, she and Ochako swiftly coming to his side.

Izuku grunted as he tried to free his arm, but couldn't. "I can't move!"

"Yuuto-san, help us free Izuku," Ochako told the blonde Knight, but to no response. All he was doing a stand there looking at the ground. "…What are you doing? Hey, Yuuto!"

"Huh?" Yuuto finally snapped out of it, seemed confused at first, but then looked up at where the Stray Devil on the ceiling before looking at Izuku. "Sorry, I-" webbing suddenly struck Yuuto in the back, the spider woman quickly pining the Knight into a wall, trapping him in webbing.

"That's two," Koneko and Ochako glared up at the ceiling only to find the spider woman gone. "Once I deal with you, I'll take care of your friends outside." Her voice echoed throughout the building.

The two Rooks stood protectively near Izuku, keeping their eyes peeled, looking for any movement in the darkness. "This stray is different from the others," Koneko noted.

"Stray?" The spider woman's voice echoed. "You think I'm a stray devil?" A faint laugh echoed throughout the building. "That explains why you're here. Sorry to disappoint, but the stray you were looking for is dead."

The comment Ochako, Izuku, and Yuuto gasped while Koneko's eyes narrowed. "If you're not a stray, then what are you?" The white-haired girl asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know."

A green-purple blob suddenly hit Koneko in the arm. She cried in pain as she was knocked to the ground, the substance being her skin.

"Koneko-chan!" Izuku tried even harder to get himself free. Looking around, he spotted an old piece of rebar. Grabbing it, he began using the rebar to try and pry himself free.

Ochako stood shakily, gripping her staff tightly as her eyes scurried throughout the building, looking for the monster. "Izuku, any ideas?" She asked.

Izuku grunted as he continued to pry his hand free, without much success. _'Think. This spider lady must have some kind of weakness. If Ravel was here then she can burn these… Wait.'_ Eyes widen in realization, Izuku yelled out. "Ochako, use fire to melt these webs!"

Ochako followed his command quickly. "Firaga!" Burts of fire shot out from her staff, hitting the webbing that trapped Izuku and Yuuto. After a couple of seconds, the webs melted, freeing them.

"Oh, a witch? I haven't added a witch's head to my collection in a while." The spider woman commented.

Izuku didn't waste any time in attending to Koneko. A good part of her skin where the acid hit was gone, showing the muscle and sinew beneath. _'Even with her Rook durability, that acid was able to hurt her this badly.'_ Gritting his teeth, Izuku knew was they needed to do next. "We need to get out of here! We can't take her on by ourselves."

"Do you really think I'll let you?"

Izuku looked up, just in time to see the spider woman charge toward them.

* * *

Outside, Rias and Momo waited for the four to lure out what they thought was the Stray Devil, unaware of what was happening. "Something isn't right," Rias narrows her eyes. "They should've drawn it out by now."

Momo was about to voice her thoughts when she noticed something. Several flies were swarming near a ditch. Curious, Momo walked over and peers into the ditch. What she saw caused her to covered her mouth to prevent herself from throwing up.

"Momo, what's wrong?" Rias asked, running up to her Queen. She got her answer when she saw what was in the ditch.

It was a corpse, only it wasn't a human corpse. It was the stray devil they were hunting… at least what was left of it. Someone or something had killed the stray in a grisly and, from the look on what was left of its face, painful fashion.

Rias gagged at the sight. "That's… the stray we were informed of!" She gasped.

"Wait… if this is… was the stray, then what is everyone fighting?" Momo asked.

Rias didn't answer. She wasn't sure she _wanted_ an answer. Quickly, she ran as fast as she could into the building.

"Buchou!"

* * *

Izuku watched in horror as the spider woman charged toward them. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning hit the monster, sending her flying into the adjacent wall. "Buchou! Momo-san!" Izuku exclaimed in relief. Rias quickly ran to Izuku, who was protectively carrying Koneko.

"What happened!?" She asked. Then she saw the state of Koneko's arm. Her expression darkened, a hateful glare directed toward spider woman, but…

"Where'd she go?!" Ochako exclaimed. In the second the devils weren't looking, the spider women vanished.

* * *

Several minutes later, and Ibara was already tending to Koneko. Izuku explained everything that happened once they went in, from finding the dismembered bodies to how Yuuto was acting.

"Just who was that woman?" She wondered out loud.

"I don't know," Izuku's eyes narrowed. "But we won't let her get away with what she did."

A sharp slapping sound came from his side. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Rias standing in front of Yuuto with her hand motioning to a stop. "Are you awake now?" she asked with a stern frown. "Not only did that… thing getaway, but you, Izuku, Ochako, and Koneko all nearly ended up getting killed. What's going on with you?"

Yuuto's face was at its side, a red tint slowly beginning to fade from his cheek. "Sorry, Buchou," he replied as he turned to face her with a forced smile, "I… don't think I'm feeling too well. I think I'm going to be taking a break from club activities for a little while. Goodnight." Rias' expression turned worrisome as she watched Yuuto walk away, with the others looking on in quietly.

Izuku, on his part, couldn't keep quiet. "Yuuto-san! Wait!" he shouted as he ran after him. Yuuto stopped but didn't turn to look around. "Yuuto, what's wrong with you? You aren't usually like this."

"It isn't any of your business, Izuku," the harshness of Yuuto's words seemed to match the sound of thunder rolling in the sky.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Izuku frowned, raindrops started to fall from the sky one by one before it turned into a light drizzle. "Yuuto-san, if something's bothering you, you can tell me. We're friends, right?"

"Friends…?" Yuuto looked up at him. "Izuku, recently I remembered something important."

Izuku's eyebrows furrowed in curiosity, "What's that?"

"My reason for living. I'm almost ashamed of myself that I had forgotten it after so long."

"Your reason for living… is it because of Buchou?"

"No…"

Yuuto turned to look Izuku straight in the face, his eyes brimming with rage and hatred. Izuku shuddered under his gaze.

"It's for revenge," Yuuto said, his voice bolden with anger with a clenched fist. "I live only for the destruction of the holy sword Excalibur. I swore an oath on my honor and for the sake of my comrades, that it would be destroyed. That is why I live."

Yuuto didn't speak another word as he walked away. Izuku could only watch as he disappeared into the rain.

* * *

In another part of the town, the abandoned church that was used in a certain ritual found itself with three visitors trying to get out of the rain. The white cloaks were recognizable and their hoods managed to keep their hair from getting wet as the rain started to get heavy.

One of them sighed as they enter the church. "We finally made it."

Now out of the rain and walking through to the altar, the first figure pulled off her hood, revealing a young woman of Italian descent. "Not the most ideal shelter, but this will do for now," she said, looking over the ruined church.

One of the other figures pulled off their hood, revealing a teenage girl of Italian descent with blue chin-length hair and a green fringe on her head and dark yellow eyes. "I can't believe the people of this city would leave such a nice church to rot," she said, brushing off water from her head.

"From what I heard, the former owners faked a weeping painting and took the money before they disappeared. I can't stand it when people use our faith to commit such sins," the last of the three said.

Griselda sighed, sad that such a thing took place, but not at all surprised. "However this church fell to ruin doesn't matter. We'll stay here for the night and begin tomorrow. I'll contact the Gremory devil and the Sorcerer, see when we can meet with them. You two will search the city for any clues until then."

The two young exorcists nodded. "Do you still remember the city's layout?" The blue-haired exorcist asked her companion.

The other girl pulled off her hood, revealing a young Japanese girl with long chestnut-colored hair in twin ponytails and bright purple eyes. She whipped her hair back and forth to shake out the water before smiling, "Of course I do," she said as she flashed a photo of two children, a girl with hair and eyes like hers and a boy with messy green hair and eyes, "After all, Musutafu is the city where I grew up in."

* * *

Elsewhere, a certain blond gnashed his teeth as he walked through the Musutafu streets, stomping toward home, an annoyed look in his eyes. He had spent all day after classes ended training for the Sports Festival, blowing the hell up out of anything and everything that U.A. allowed.

And yet he hadn't seen a certain green-headed nerd and his girlfriend's training at all today. _"Is that asshole even taking this seriously!?"_ If Deku thinks that weird move he used during the USJ would be enough for him to beat him, then he's dead!

_*Splash!*_

A different splash from his own caused Bakugo to snap out of his thoughts and to pay attention to what was in front of him. There was a person stumbling towards him. And based on his attire and the cross hanging from his neck, he was a priest.

And he was bleeding badly.

"Please… help!" The priest begged before he collapsed.

Bakugo blinked in confusion, wondering what could've happened when he heard someone laugh.

"Whoo-hoo!" The blond looked up and saw a young man swinging a sword. The blade was wavy and slightly jagged rather than straight like most swords were. "What do we have here? A little lamb who's lost his way? You have good timing. I was getting bored and I don't like leaving witnesses." He laughed maniacally, a crazed grin on his face.

Bakugou's hands were already starting to sweat, little explosions going off as he turned to look him in the eye. "Witnesses?" The blond grinned. "If you think I'll sit back and let you kill me, you got another thing comin'!"

"Oh, you're a confident one!" The man laughed, licking the blade of his sword lecherously. "Name's Freed Sellzen, an exorcist who hunts priests. But priest hunting has gotten so fuckin' boring and I need a challenge. I hope you're up for it Explosion Boy. 'Cause you're up against the holy sword known as Excalibur! Loser gets to die!"

Bakugo Katsuki grinned, his palms sparking in anticipation.

* * *

**AN:**

**Heh, a lot happened in this chapter, huh?**

**First off: Happy belated birthday Rias! Kinda wish I finished and posted this chapter 10 days earlier, then it would've fallen on her canonical birthday.**

**Second: the Sports Festival was officially announced, but the bit about an international competition was different, while All Might has offered Izuku One For All (whether he accepts or not is another story).**

**Inko shows everyone embarrassing pictures of kid!Izuku, all because he forgot to tell her about Rias' birthday. At least he's learned his lesson. The ORC have encountered a mysterious spider woman, while Irina and Xenovia have arrived in Musutafu with Griselda.**

**And finally, it's Freed vs Bakugo. Didn't see that coming, did ya?**

**And I just realized that this chapter covers the first episodes of the second seasons of both My Hero Academia and High School DxD.**

**Anyway, next time we'll have the fight between Freed and Bakugo. Hope Bakugo will be all right. Hint, hint. We'll also see Izuku reunite with an old friend. Until then, be patient and stay healthy.**

**Plus ultra!**


	27. Unexpected Guests

**AN: Hero Academia DxD is officially one year old now! Hope you all enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

"Holy Sword Project?" Izuku asked.

Rias gave a nod. After they got home, Izuku, Rias, Ibara, and Ochako were in the former's bedroom after calling it a night. After Izuku asked about Yuuto's strange behavior, she decided to them about Yuuto's life before he became a devil.

"Yes. It was a secret project in the Church in which they gathered orphans so they can be trained to be exorcists in wielding holy swords," Rias explained. "And Yuuto-kun was one of those orphans."

"The Church ran such a program?" Ibara blinked quietly, "This is the first time I ever heard about it."

"I'm not surprised. It was a top-secret project that not many even in the Church knew about. It would've affected the flow of the supernatural world on a grand scale if word got out. If anyone else had heard of the project, rivals and enemies of the Church would have attempted to steal the research for themselves or destroy the project completely."

"So Yuuto-kun was raised as a soldier for the Church?" Ochako asked.

"That's right," the red-hared devil nodded. "Holy swords are the antithesis of the demonic swords like the ones Yuuto's Sword Birth creates. They're pretty effective against devils and any other dark creature. A single touch is able to burn us and if we were to be cut down by one we would disappear forever. The Holy Sword Project, however, focused on one holy sword in particular: Excalibur."

"Excalibur? As in the sword King Arthur pulled from the stone?" Izuku asked.

"Not exactly. The Sword in the Stone, Caliburn, is a separate sword altogether. Excalibur was given to him by the Lady of the Lake, Nimue. But Excalibur hasn't been a single sword for a long time. During the Great War, it broke into seven pieces. Through the use of magic and alchemy, the pieces were turned into a new set of swords, each one carrying a different attribute," Rias explained.

"Huh?" Izuku asked, looking puzzled. "Wouldn't it be better to put them all back together again? And how did it get broken in the first place?"

"No one knows how Excalibur was broken. Members of the Church claim it was the work of us devils, but just as many argue that Nimue cursed the blade when the Church refused to return it, shattering it so that believers in God could never use it properly. However it was broken, the Church felt that wielding multiple pieces of Excalibur could bolster their strength," Rias answered.

"Okay, but why does Yuuto-san hate the sword so much?" Ochako asked. Rias sighed, hoping not to answer the question.

"Because the Holy Sword Project ended in failure," Rias said gravely.

"What?" Izuku asked. "Failure?"

"Everyone who received artificial treatment couldn't adapt to Excalibur. None of the orphans reached the requirement. After that the project was shut down," Rias said.

"What happened to the orphans?" Ibara asked. "Were they sent off to another church?"

Rias closed her eyes and slowly shook her head. "The orphans were deemed as 'defects' and… were disposed of…" Izuku's eyes widen in shock while Ibara's and Ochako's hands were covering their mouths in horror.

"But… if this happened years ago, wouldn't that mean they were all young kids at the time?" Izuku asked, slowly trying to comprehend what he heard.

"No way… Yuuto-san," Ochako stuttered.

"But… that goes against the principles of the Church," Ibara whispered as she looked down, tears slowly falling from her eyes.

"They, the people of the Church, calls us devils an evil existence, but I think the bad intentions of people - human, devil, or angel - are the greatest evil in this world," Rias continued on. "It was thanks to the sacrifices of his brothers and sisters that Yuuto managed to escape. However, he ended up mortally wounded. I saw him dying out in a snowfield during one of my strolls in Europe. I thought I would reincarnate him as a devil just to give him a second chance. He didn't accept it at first since he was raised in a Church facility but he gradually grew past that and became my Knight. I had honestly thought he had let go of his past," she let out a sigh. "But I guess there are some things you can't just let go of."

"Buchou, I think I know what set Yuuto-san off," Izuku told her before walking out of the room. A few seconds later and he returned with a photo album. "It started when he was looking through my family album and he saw this." Flipping to the page that had the photo of him and the girl, Izuku placed it on his desk to show them.

"Izuku, what is this?" Rias asked.

"It's a photo of me and Rinchan before she moved away. When Yuuto-san saw this he asked me about the sword. He told me it was a holy sword," Izuku answered.

Rias looked closely at the photo, her eyes narrowing down on the sword in the picture. "Yes, this is without a doubt a holy sword," she nodded. "It may not be a strong as Excalibur but this is a genuine article. Perchance, was your friend part of the Church?"

"Yeah," Izuku nodded. "It's been years since I last saw her, but I remember that she was a strong believer. She and her family even used to invite me to go to the church sometimes before it was abandoned. If I remember right, her dad was a priest."

"So, there was one near you… A holy sword in this area about 10 years ago. It's rather terrifying." Rias said.

"I hope Yuuto-san will be fine," Ibara said. "He's been through so much. All because of the Church…"

Rias sighed heavily. "It's probably best to give him space for now. His head is full of the feelings he has towards the holy swords. But I hope he returns to his usual self soon."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Ochako said, her cheerful smile returning. "He'll probably feel better by tomorrow."

"Yeah, I hope so too," Izuku smiled.

Rias smiled back. "Good. Now that we're finished with unpleasantries," the crimson-haired girl stood up and started to take off her shirt, showing off a sexy lace bra. "We can finally go to bed."

"Buchou?! What are you doing?!" Izuku exclaimed, his face glowing red while Ibara and Ochako gawked.

"Hm?" Rias tilted her head. "Why, I'm sleeping with you tonight. You know I can't sleep unless I'm naked," she smiled sultrily as she pushed herself on Izuku's right side. "I also can't sleep unless I have my Izuku to cuddle with."

"H-Hey!" Ochako quickly began to strip also. "We need to cuddle with our Izuku, too!"

"He's not just yours, Buchou!" Ibara cried out as she swiftly stripped off her PJs until there was nothing left.

"Ibara, Ochako, I let you have a free pass last time. So please let me sleep with him tonight," Rias insisted.

"No can do," Ibara replied. "I want to sleep with him tonight."

"Yeah," said Ochako. "We have just as much right to sleep with Izuku as you do, Buchou."

"In that case, we'll let Izuku decide," Rias declared.

"Wait, what?!" Izuku exclaimed.

He could only look around in shock as, to his distress, the naked bodies of three beautiful girls crowded closer around him. He blushed in reflex, and an interesting reaction happened.

"Kyah!" Ibara cried out, blushing as she started feeling something warm and hard rubbing against her crotch. Rias leaned in close with a… 'unique' look in her eyes, and Ochako hugged him tightly.

"Izu…"

"Izuku…"

"Izuku-san…"

"…Who are you going to sleep with tonight?!"

* * *

Bakugo blasted towards Freed. But not with as much force as he thought. _'Damn rain.'_

With all the humidity from the rain and the rain jacket he had on, he was sweating more than he would usually. The only problem was the rain itself, as it minimized the power of his explosions.

_'Not like it matters!'_

Freed attempted to use the sword to impale Bakugo.

But Bakugo had made an explosion in his palm, launching him to the right side and avoiding the blade. With gritted teeth, Bakugo launched himself forward with an explosion in his right hand, rocketing towards Freed from behind. "DIE!" Bakugo let loose a quick concussive explosion off in his face, causing Freed to whip his body back.

"OOOOOWWW! WATCH IT!" Freed exclaimed, holding his eye with his free hand. "You nearly took out my eye! This ain't sexy at all!"

Bakugo cackled like a villain at the psychotic rogue priest's suffering. "Ha! It's an improvement if you ask me, freak! You and that fake-ass sword are nothin' but talk!"

"Fake-ass?!" Freed growled. "This is the real motherfucking deal, baby! I'll prove it!"

Freed was off, full-on sprinting at him, the mad exorcist's footsteps pattering like raindrops, but there was far too much distance to close. Bakugo grinned and prepared to counter, and then in a blur, he was gone.

"Wha-"

His head snapped up and to the side and there he was, laughing like the lunatic he was as he shot toward Bakugo. In the split-second he had, Bakugo could only jump back. Had he not, Freed would've cut his arm clean off. Instead, he got a large gash.

"AGGGHHHH!" Bakugo screamed, clamping a hand on the wound.

"Some have called the Holy Sword of the Heavenly Flare the Excalibur Rapidly, but I don't! I call it the 'super-fast sword'," Freed laughed.

"Damnit!" Bakugo gritted his teeth, cursing the crazed exorcists.

"Now let's try this again," Freed moaned as he licked Bakugo's blood on the blade. "Time to die!"

Freed vanished once again, this time reappearing directly being Bakugo. With his free hand, the blond tried to blast Freed with an explosion, but Freed had already vanished before he could. Bakugo's eyes tried to track the mad exorcists, but Freed was moving too fast. All Bakugo could follow were the afterimages.

But this just caused Bakugo to grin, having figured out how to win. If he can't see where Freed was, then he'll just have to figure out where he's going to be.

"Time to send ya to hell, explosion boy!" Freed laughed as he charged at Bakugo from the side.

But Bakugo was ready, placing the palms of his hands close together as he aimed at where Freed was coming from.

"DIE!"

***KABOOM!***

A large blast engulfed Freed. The mad exorcist fell back, dropping the sword as he tumbled along the ground. "GAAAHH! You blew my ear out!" Freed yelled, blood dripping from his right ear.

Bakugo panted, wiping away water from his eyes. "You're gonna have to try better than that, you bas-"

_*BANG!*_

Bakugo's eyes widen, recoiling back in horror as he felt his skin pierced by something.

"Surprise, biatch!" Freed laughed, having drawn a gun out of nowhere. "No good exorcists doesn't come prepared! And don't worry, the gun's totally legal 'cause it shots light!"

"Y-You cockbite!" Bakugo growled out, placing a hand on his stomach in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

"'Cockbite'? That's a new one! I'll have to remember it," Freed laughed as he picked up the Excalibur. "Now where were we?" Freed's murder-happy face turned to a scowl as a small ringing blared from Freed's pocket. Fishing into his pocket, he pulled out his phone and put it to his face.

"What? I'm in the middle of something!" Freed snapped. His eyes widened slightly after hearing the message on the speaker. "Seriously? Fine then. I'm on my way." He dismissed his phone and looked back to Bakugo, who was starting to gasp for air. "Looks like it's your lucky night. My boss needs me for something so I have to leave. But not before I fill you full of holes!"

_*BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!*_

Bakugo could only gag as Freed unloaded his gun, each shot piercing a different part of his body. Eventually, the pain became too much, Bakugo's body going limp as he collapsed.

Smiling, Freed stopped shooting. "Have fun bleeding out, asshat! See you in Hell~!" Freed laughed before leaving.

Bakugo could only stare off into the raining sky, his eyes dull as he bled to death. "D-Damnit…" he coughed out blood. "I can't… believe I'm dying… before shitty Deku!"

"Really? _Those_ are your final words?"

Bakugo weekly turned his head, finding a figure standing near him. He couldn't make out many details due to his blurring vision, but from what he could tell was that it was a man wearing a green yukata.

"Sorry I couldn't get here sooner. But it looks like it was a good thing I decided to keep an eye on you."

* * *

Izuku drank a glass of water after that fiasco in his bedroom. In the end, all three girls agreed that they would sleep with him. All the girls were able to sleep but he couldn't due to all the voluptuous and nude bodies pressing against him. So the only thing he could do was take a glass of water along with a sleeping pill.

How he got out of the bed without waking any of them up was beyond Izuku, but he wasn't going to complain.

[Trouble in paradise?]

Izuku groaned as he looked at the glowing green gem on his hand. "Not now, Ddraig. I have a lot on my mind."

[I can tell. That Nomu monster, the Balance Break you did, All Might's offer, and that's not counting the girls.] Izuku blushed at the last bit. [But that can wait. There's something I need to tell you.]

Izuku was caught back by the urgent tone of Ddraig's voice. "W-What is it?"

[I've been sensing a strong spiritual pressure near you lately. It's making me anxious and I can't sleep.]

"It might be Buchou that you're sensing," Izuku replied. "She has been…" he stopped, a faint blush appearing on his face.

[It isn't the Gremory. I barely notice her or your other friends anymore.]

That snapped Izuku out of it. "Then… is it an enemy?"

[Perhaps. At first, I thought it was your classmate, Hyde, but the presence I've been sensing is different from his.]

"Wait, Kido-san?" Izuku tilted his head in confusion. "Why did you suspect him?"

[You know that blade of his, the Insulator? Well, whenever you were near him when he was using it, like when you two were a team during that battle trial against Bakugo and that Tsubasa girl, the power I sensed from it made my skin crawl. I don't think he has a Quirk. It feels more like a Longinus.]

"Kido-san has a Sacred Gear?!" Izuku gasped. "Are you sure? And why didn't you bring this up before?"

[There never was any reason to bring it up. At the very least his 'Void Red' is something supernatural in nature. But we're getting off-topic. If the presence I've been feeling is the White One watching you, then I think you should accept All Might's offer. Having power like that will be invaluable for when you encounter him.]

"…I've been meaning to ask you about that," Izuku sat down on the couch. "Who's this 'White One' you keep mentioning?"

[The White Dragon Emperor, Vanishing Dragon Albion.]

"The Vanishing Dragon?" Izuku asked, feeling unsettled by the sound of the name.

[You know of the Great War that took place between Heaven, the Fallen Angels, and the Devils long ago?]

"Yeah."

[During the war, all sorts of beings lent their strength to each of the Three Factions. Fairies, ghosts, western monsters, eastern spirits, even humans. Only the dragons refused to ally with any one side.]

"How come?"

[By nature, dragons are extraordinary embodiments of free will. As such, while a few joined with the devils and fallen angels, most dragons saw the war as none of their concern. However, two dragons began a fight of their own during the war. They were the Two Heavenly Dragons, dragons comparable to even God and the Devil Kings. Completely indifferent to the Great War, their battles resulted in casualties on all sides.]

"Why were they fighting?" Izuku asked.

[Who knows? It happened so long ago I doubt that they even remember. In their fury, the Three Factions decided to join forces for the first time. "There will be nothing left to fight if we don't take care of these two dragons first! We need to cooperate to take them down."]

"The Three Factions actually worked together to fight you and Albion?"

[Yes,] Ddraig replied, not even bothering to hide that fact anymore. [Enrage at having our fight interrupted, me and Albion lashed out against God, the Devil Kings, and Azazel, the fallen angel's leader. But in the end, we were cut to pieces and scattered to the winds, our souls locked away inside the bodies of humans as Sacred Gears. Since then we've used them as intermediaries to meet and fight, over and over again.]

Izuku gulped. "You're saying that, eventually, I'll have to fight whoever has the Vanishing Dragon within them?"

[Assuming the opposing host is still alive. Sometimes one of them was already dead before me and Albion could meet, and so we didn't fight, but most of the time we did. If the vessel died, that dragon would stop functioning for a certain time. Our spirits float around in this world until the humans with dragon powers are born. That cycle has repeated countless times throughout the many long years.]

Izuku looked down, deep in thought as he asked, "If the White One were to appear right now, do you think I can fight him?"

[Depends on how powerful they'll be, but if you want my honest answer; No, you won't last long against them, especially since you don't have a true Balance Breaker yet.]

Izuku's eyes widened at that. "That wasn't a true Balance Breaker?" He asked, shocked that the armor he summed during the USJ to fight against the Nomu wasn't a genuine Balance Breaker.

[Indeed. It was more of a pseudo-Balance Breaker, sorta like what we saw with All Might, a nifty power-up for a brief moment. Why do you think it shattered so easily or why it lasted only 10 seconds? Even if it was the real thing, there's a chance you could no longer use it.]

"What do you mean?" Izuku asked, shocked.

[What I mean is there's a chance that, with a change of your feelings, you may lose your Balance Breaker. At the time you had the urge to protect those close to you. Now that the danger has passed there's no longer any reason for you to keep it. Just because you were able to accomplish something once doesn't mean you can do it again right off the bat.]

"…What do I need to do to unlock a true Balance Breaker?"

[That's the tricky part. It varies from person to person. It could awaken from trauma, or from training. There are even rare occasions where one is born with their Balance Breaker already active. It all depends on the person's feelings. And, considering how emotional you can get, it might take a while.]

"I can't help but feel you're making fun of me…" Izuku sighed. This whole thing with his Balance Breaker felt like a copout. "I need to get to bed. This has been a long day."

* * *

Morning came. The sky was still overcast, but that didn't stop one Bakugo Katsuki from jumping out of bed in shock, his body drenched in sweat. "The hell…?" Looking around, he saw that he was in his own bed at home. Glancing over his body, he didn't find any wounds. There wasn't even any scar tissue.

"The fuck?" He knew what happen wasn't a dream. He could recall how he ran into the psychopath and the fight, then he got shot, and then some weird guy showed up and offered to help. Bakugo couldn't remember what his response was, but it was obvious that the old guy did help since he's okay now.

"KATSUKI!"

He flinched when he heard his mother yell from downstairs.

"GET THE FUCK UP! BREAKFAST HAS BEEN READY FOR TEN MINUTES NOW!"

"BE QUIET, HAG!" He yelled back. He then noticed what looked like a note on his desk.

Curiously, he picked it up and began reading. 'Come to this address tomorrow after school.' Below was, indeed, an address and a smiling face in the likeness of the guy from last night with a thumbs up.

"Who the hell-"

"KATSUKI! HURRY UP AND GET DOWN HERE OR YOU'RE GOING TO SCHOOL WITHOUT BREAKFAST!"

"SHUT UP, HAG! I'M COMING DOWN!"

* * *

The sky was soon clear from the previous night's rain. Yawning, Mizu lazily walked toward U.A. bright and early. A few students were walking near her. They seemed to be the type who arrived at school a whole hour early. Mizu paid them no mind, she just wanted to get to work, have breakfast, then get ready for the day.

She had reached out to her contacts about the spider woman Ochako and the other Gremory devils encountered last night, but it'll take a while for any meaningful information to come up.

Mizu nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt an arm suddenly wrapped around her shoulders. She relaxed somewhat when she saw Midnight's smiling face next to hers.

"Ah, Kayama-senpai!"

"Ah ah! I thought I told you to call me Nemuri?"

"Right, sorry," Mizu replied.

"You handling being a teacher, Akari-chan?" Mizu smiled and nodded. Midnight was surprisingly supportive of Mizu becoming a teacher, happy to have another female pro on the staff. The R-Rated Heroine even offered her advice from time to time. "Good! Care to have a drink later to celebrate then?"

"I'll have to pass," Mizu replied. "I don't feel like getting drowned in booze again."

Midnight playfully pouted. "I said I was sorry. I promise not to do it again."

Before Mizu could reply, she stopped. Standing next to the entrance was a young woman around Midnight's age dressed in a white cloak with hoods on. Mizu recognized her right away.

"Griselda?" She blurted out.

"Hmm?" Midnight turned her gaze toward the hooded woman, who began to approach them.

"Long time no see, Mizu," Griselda greeted.

"She a friend of yours?" Midnight asked.

"Something like that," Mizu replied.

"Oh~!" Midnight smiled. "Then is she willing to have a drink with us later, then?"

"Sorry, but I don't drink," Griselda politely declined.

"Darn," Midnight pouted. "Well, have fun catching up, you two," Midnight waved as she strutted onward.

"Her attire was…" Griselda hesitated, trying to find an appropriate word. "…Scandalous."

"Like you have room to talk," Mizu replied. "What brings you to Musutafu?"

Griselda turned to the sorcerer, her friendly smile gone. "I wish to speak with Rias Gremory."

* * *

"Did Rias say why there's no meeting today?" Ravel asked as she, Koneko, Izuku, Ochako, and Ibara had just left U.A.'s school grounds.

Izuku shrugged. "Only that Mizu-san needed to speak with her, Kaichou, and Dantarion-senpai about something."

"You think it's about Yuuto-san?" Ibara asked.

"…There was no sign of him today," Izuku lamented. "But I don't think it's about him. If it were Buchou would've involved all of us."

"It must be pretty serious then," Ravel commented, she and Koneko waiting for the light to change.

Izuku then looked to Koneko. "What about you, Koneko-chan? What do you make of it?"

"There's anything wrong with Buchou talking to someone," she said. "But…" the others noticed the small amount of worry in her tone. "I'm more worried about what's going on with Yuuto-senpai."

"Yeah," Izuku nodded.

"I'm… Sure Yuuto can take care of himself," Ravel tried to reassure. "It's probably best to give him some space." The light changed and allowed the two middle schoolers to cross the street. "We'll see you all tomorrow unless something happens. Take care."

"…See you," Koneko said.

"See you tomorrow," Ochako said, waving her hand.

"Bye," Ibara said. The two girls then saw that Izuku wasn't saying goodbye like them and was instead staring at them the white-haired girl in particular, deep in thought. "Is something wrong, Izuku-san?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry," he apologized. "I was just thinking."

"About what?" Ochako asked.

"…I joined the group because of Raynare killing me, Ibara-san joined to be with friends, and Ochako-san joined because Rias offered to help your family. Yuuto-san joined with the intent to get vengeance on the Excalibur." He paused for a moment, continuing to watch the younger girl walk away. "So… why did Koneko-chan and Momo-san join?"

"That's a good point," said Ochako. "Now that I think about it, Momo-san never mentioned why she wanted to become a devil."

As the three continued home, Izuku thought back to how Kyoka and Momo somehow know All Might. He guessed they happened to meet him and find out his secret when they were saved from that sludge villain over a year ago. Could that somehow be part of Momo's reason?

* * *

"So what are we here to discuss about? Something tells me this secret's a good one." Kudelia asked. She, along with her Queen Tye, along with Rias and Momo, were in the Student Council Room. Sona and her Queen Tsubaki were present, as was Mizu, who stood in the center of the room.

Mizu didn't respond for a moment, making sure no one would listen in. A second later, she opened her eyes and said, "This morning, an exorcist from Church contacted me."

This aroused surprise and suspicion from Rias, Sona, Kudelia, and their Queens. "It's been a long time since they've been to this town," Sona commented.

"Did they tell you what they wanted?" Rias asked.

"They want to meet with you, Rias," Mizu answered.

Said girl gasped. "Members of the Church want to speak with a devil?" She narrowed her eyes. "What do they want? There's no other reason for them to be here except to stir up trouble."

"That's not how Griselda does things," Mizu calmly replied. "She doesn't like to antagonize devils, fallen angels, and the like."

"Wait, back up!" Kudelia exclaimed. "'Griselda'? As in Griselda Quarta? One of the best exorcists the Church has to offer? _That_ Griselda?!"

Mizu nodded. A heavy tension filled the air as the devils all exchanged worried glances. All except for Momo. "I'm sorry, but who's Griselda Quarta?" She asked.

"She's a top-ranking exorcist and one of the best," Tsubaki answered. "She actually fought in the Second European War, fighting on the front lines."

"And she's here in Musutafu?" Tye asked.

"Yep," Mizu nodded. "Along with two others. They weren't with her when we met this mourning, though I have a good idea who one of them might be."

"What do you want to do, Rias?" Sona asked.

Rias closed her eyes in thought, going over her options. "If I ignore them, then there's a chance that it could cause an incident. But if I do accept their request, it could be part of some trap. Worst case scenario would be another Great War. If that were to happen…" as she continued to mumble, Sona, Tsubaki, Kudelia, and Tye all blinked in confusion at the sight, while Momo and Mizu could only smile in amusement.

"Uh, Rias…?" Sona asked.

Rias was snapped out of it and looked to her friend, blinking as she realized that they were staring at her. "What?"

"You've been hanging out with Midoriya too much," Mizu said, trying to hide her amusement.

The red-haired devil flustered up immediately, realizing what she meant. "I was-"

"Yep." Momo and Mizu immediately answered.

Rias' blush seemed to grow as the other devils giggled. "I wasn't aware that Midoriya's mumbling habit was contagious," Sona smiled.

"Let's get back on topic," Mizu said. "So, what's the call?"

Rias sighed, "I'll meet with them. Tomorrow after school will be fine. If they're willing to formerly meet with a devil then the circumstances might be serious."

Mizu nodded. "I'll contact Griselda right away."

"By the way, you said there are two other exorcists in the city, correct?" Sona asked. "Do you know where they are?"

Mizu shook her head. "No. All Griselda said was that one wanted to see an old friend."

"An old friend?" Rias asked. Suddenly the picture of Izuku, the holy sword, and the girl flashed in her mind, making her gasp. "No way…"

* * *

Izuku, Ibara, and Ochako were about ready to enter the Midoriya apartment when they froze in place, a cold sweat building on their brows as they felt a dangerous presence nearby.

"This feeling, what is it?" Ochako asked, dread spreading across her face.

"What is this?" Ibara muttered.

Izuku looked in dread at the door. There was no doubt about it, the dangerous feeling was coming from his home. And he recognizes it.

"I know this feeling… it's just like when I first met you, Ibara-san… when I showed you to the church…" he explained, eyes narrowing. "And just like when I met Freed. Someone from the Church is here…" horror suddenly filled him, the greenette devil rushing forward.

Ibara and Ochako were quick to follow, rushing through the front door. "Mom!" Izuku called out as soon as he entered.

Inko looked back at him with a bewildered look, "Izuku? Why the crazed look on your face?" Inko looked perfectly fine, much to his confusion and relief. With her were two girls around his age, both of them draped in white robes.

The one on the left had chin-length blue hair with a green fringe on the right side with dark yellow eyes. Next to her was a large something that was covered in white cloth. It looked very much like a sword. The one on the right had chestnut-colored hair tied in twin tails held by blue scrunchies, purple eyes, and white armband on her sleeve. Izuku couldn't help but feel that he'd seen her from somewhere.

What bothered him most was the large covered up thing and the armband that they both had with them. And the fact that the thing the blue-haired girl had with her looked very much like a sword put him on instant standby, especially after learning about the holy swords the other night. Izuku felt his senses screaming all around his brain, warning him to stay the hell away from whatever they had.

And he still saw that both had crosses hanging from their necks. For all he knew, they were interrogating her about having relations with devils.

"Mom, who are they?" Izuku asked cautiously as both Ochako and Ibara caught up to him.

"Just a pair of guests!" Inko replied, clasping her hands happily, "Not just that but an old friend of yours! She was very eager to see you again!" Izuku blinked in surprise. One of them was someone he knew?

"Izuku's old friend?" Ochako tilted her head.

"Hey, Zuku!" The chestnut-haired girl greeted. "It's great to see you again!"

_'Zuku?'_ Izuku blinked. Suddenly his eyes widened, the pieces falling in place. Only one person had ever called him Zuku. And she had purple eyes like that too. The green-haired teen's jaw dropped. The girl, Shidou Irina, offered a kind smile.

"R-Rinchan?!" He exclaimed, feeling a mixture of emotions well up inside of him. Irina had changed from when he last saw her. She's definitely more girly than he remembered.

"Surprised to see me in something that isn't a t-shirt and shorts?" Irina asked with a smirk of amusement, walking a bit closer to Izuku.

"It surprised me, too," Inko giggled. "Irina-chan grew up to become a fine woman! I almost didn't recognize her until she pointed it out to me!"

"Oh~, you flatter me, Inko oba-san," Irina laughed.

"Are you following this…?" Ochako whispered over to Ibara, the vine-haired devil giving a sheepish smile as she shook her head.

"W-Why are you h-here?" Izuku stuttered.

"I see you still have trouble with girls, Zuku," Irina giggled. "I came back due to business, but I'm amazed at how much everything's changed, you especially Zuku. I'm happy you're finally becoming a hero!" Irina's smile suddenly turned bitter, "You can never know what can happen in ten years, can you?"

Izuku noticed both her and the other girl's eyes narrow at him. The way she said those words to him put him on edge.

_'…Oh crap,'_ he silently cursed, he and the other two devils realizing what Irina meant.

"Oh, Irina-chan!" Inko suddenly said, unintentionally interrupting the paranoia. "You never mentioned your friend's name. Who is she?"

"Ah, how rude of me!" Irina exclaimed, her cheerfulness returning. She gestured at her partner, who was still looking intently at Izuku, "This is Xenovia, she's a friend of mine who transferred from Italy a while back."

The other girl, Xenovia, turned her face to Inko and gave a small nod, "It's a pleasure ma'am," she said before looking to Irina. "Irina, we should leave now. It's starting to get dark."

"Oh, it's that time already?" Irina frowned, looking over at the kitchen clock. "It's been so long since I've been to Japan so I guess I felt nostalgic. Unfortunately, I'm only visiting for a few days so I'll try and come to see you again before I go."

"Oh, that's too bad," Inko frowned sadly before smiling again. "At any case, say hi to your parents for me."

"That's a promise! Let's get going, Xenovia," Irina smiled back as she turned to leave through the front door. Xenovia nodded, taking her large baggage and hefting it over her shoulder. As she passed by Izuku, she gave one last glance at him.

"I'll be ready for you at any time," she whispered with a chilling gaze. The three devils all grimaced as they watched the two leave.

* * *

Shortly after they left, Rias came teleporting into the apartment and trapped all three of them in a tight hug.

"Izuku! Ibara! Ochako!" she whispered as she held them all as tightly as she could, "You're all safe! Thank goodness. Did they do anything?"

"It's okay, Buchou," Izuku smiled, comforting her. "Mom's still human so I doubt they would want to try anything in front of her."

"Yeah, nothing happened. Don't worry, Rias-buchou," Ochako added.

"Regardless of that, when I was told about some of the Church's affiliates were in the city I feared the worst. I'm so glad that nothing happened to you three," Rias said, hugging them close, with Izuku's head ending up in her cleavage.

Izuku's head began to steam at his current predicament. "Uh, B-Buchou, y-your b-b…"

"I know," Rias said as she let them go before she started to unbutton her blazer. "Oh Izuku, you're really becoming spoiled with me, aren't you?" Once the blazer was gone she began to undo her shirt.

Before Izuku could respond, Ibara and Ochako pulled him away from her, their cheeks puffed in jealousy. Rias couldn't help but give a small giggle at this. After which she cleared her throat to continue. "The reason Mizu called me over was because she ran into one of these exorcists this morning. She told me that they wished to negotiate something with the devils controlling the city, which means they want to have a word with us."

Izuku gave a surprised look, "They just want to talk?"

"I'm not too certain of their intentions, but they'll be at the clubroom tomorrow after school. We'll hear what they have to say then," Rias explained. "I suspect it has to do with the disappearances and murders of the local priests of this city. But the fact that they wish to speak to devils directly must mean that something much more serious is happening." She gave an exhausted huff. "This has truly been a tiring week."

Ochako then noticed that Ibara was nervously rubbing her arm. "Ibara, what's wrong?"

"These exorcists… what if they recognize me?" Ibara whispered nervously.

Izuku, Rias and Ochako looked her worriedly, remembering about Ibara's former life as a Holy Maiden. Rias took the vine-haired girl into a hug and rubbed her back soothingly. "Don't worry, Ibara. I won't let anything bad happen to you."

"We all will," Izuku added, him and Ochako smiling. "Promise."

* * *

Izuku let out a heavy sigh as he leaned forward. This situation with the Church continued to worry him. He was somewhat thankful that Rias decided to send him out for one of his contracts.

"Is something wrong, Devil-boyo?" Izuku blinked his eyes open, realizing that he might have looked rather troubled in front of his contractee.

"A-ah, no, not really. Just uh… got a lot on my mind." Izuku admitted, scratching his head sheepishly for letting himself fall into his thoughts. He originally wanted to distract himself from what was coming, but considering that fishing required a bit of silence and patience, it didn't do much to distract him.

"You shouldn't worry too much about the future, kid. You're too young for thoughts like that." The man chuckled, turning his gaze back out to their poles. "Try to sit and enjoy what's happening now. Deal with things as they come."

"Y-yeah, you're right, it's just… kinda hard. Especially when I don't know what's going to happen." Izuku said, resting his chin in one hand as he stared out at their poles.

"Things usually work out for the best if you let them. Sometimes all you can do is sit back and relax." His contractor shrugged, his eyes trailing forward. "By the way, your line's getting pulled."

"Huh?" Izuku soon realized what he said was true, quickly attempting to fling out the fish from the water. With wide eyes, he realized he brought in a decent-sized trout, smiling as he marveled at it. "Wow, I didn't think I'd catch something like this here!"

"See? Just being patient can help bring about the best result." The older man chuckled, standing from his seat and grabbing a bucket. Izuku quickly unhooked it, tossing it inside. "That should make for a good dinner. Thank you."

"Ah, it's nothing. I'm just surprised you don't really want me to do more than just hang out for our contract, though." Izuku admitted with a chuckle.

"I'm just happy to have company. It's nice to hang out with someone your age," the man said. "If you don't mind me asking, what's on your mind?"

"Oh, uh, I'm not sure how much of this I should share with a client, but members of the Church will be meeting with us tomorrow," Izuku said.

"Really? Any idea why?"

Izuku shook his head.

"I see… Ah well, not like there's much I can do to help," He laughed in reply. "You may go now."

"Okay. Thanks for having me, sir. I'll see you later," Izuku nodded, disappearing in a magic circle.

The man watched him disappear with a small smile, "He knows how to do that, yet prefers to walk up to his clients. He's certainly a strange one. Still, if the Church already has people here, then he's making his move. Guess I don't have much of a choice."

Reaching into his pocket he took out a phone and typed in a number, holding the phone to his ear. After a couple of seconds, someone answered. "Hey, Rintarou! How's it going?" He scowled at the recipient's response. "Yeah, I know. Only that girl gets to call you that. Just listen for a second, okay? There's a bit of a situation happening, and it could spiral out of control if not taken care of soon."

* * *

The atmosphere was tense in the ORC club room and it wasn't because of the three exorcists in the room. Every member was there, including Yuuto who finally decided to come back. Somehow, he found out about the exorcists and went to the meeting. Izuku looked in concern at Yuuto's current emotional state.

Anger. Hatred. Bitterness.

All of those things written all over his face and they were directed at the three exorcists.

Griselda had taken a seat on a couch positioned across from Rias with Xenovia and Irina sitting on each side of her. Rias calmly sat across the table facing the exorcists, her servants all standing behind her seat. Mizu was also present, sitting in a chair by the table in-between the two groups. "Thank you for taking the time to see us. I know that this is out of the ordinary for all parties involved, so I will not make this more difficult than it needs to be." Griselda said first, removing her hood, revealing her green hair. "Allow us to introduce ourselves, I'm Griselda Quarta."

Irina smiled and waved, her twin tails bouncing. "Hi! I'm Irina, Shidou Irina!"

Her partner on Griselda's right nodded politely, though it was obviously forced. "Xenovia."

"It's unusual for followers of the Church to request a meeting with devils. At least not on peaceful terms." Rias said, crossing one leg over the other as she met Griselda's gaze. "So what exactly has brought you here?"

Griselda spoke first, "We'll go straight to the point. We're here because three Excalibur pieces have been stolen from three churches. From our recent reports we had learned that the thieves are stationed here. However, when we tried to send in priests and exorcists to get them back, they were all killed."

Rias frowned. "To think that something like this is going on inside my territory. I find it hard to believe that mere thieves would be able to steal some of the church's most valuable treasures. Do you know how the culprit was able to steal them?"

"We're still investigating, but we do know who the culprits are. A rouge exorcist named Freed Sellzen, working under the orders of Kokabiel, a Cadre of the Grigori of the Fallen Angels."

Rias narrowed her eyes. "The Angel of the Stars, one of the survivors of the Great War and recorded in the Bible. He's hiding in this city?"

Irina nodded. "Yes. And because Kokabiel is one of the most dangerous fallen angels, we have been allowed usage of two of the remaining Excalibur pieces for use in this endeavor," she said, regarding her armband while Xenovia lifted her package.

Xenovia unraveled the white cloth from her large packaging, revealing a two-handed sword with a cross in the pommel, a grip long enough that could be held with three hands, an ax-like guard, a second grip with a chain-like form, and a long blade that ended with three points. "Mine is Excalibur Destruction, the Holy Sword of Destruction. As the name implies this Excalibur piece is the most destructive out of all seven. This sword is under Catholic supervision."

"And mine…" Irina popped in as she pulled her armband. As soon as she did, it instantly morphed into a katana. "…Is the Excalibur Mimic, the Holy Sword of Mimicry. This is normally kept under the watch of the Protestant Church. This thing's unique feature is that it can change shape to almost anything you like, so it makes carrying it around totally easy," she boasted as the blade started to change shape into whatever she could think of.

"The last piece that wasn't taken is the Excalibur Blessing. It is heavily guarded with extra security in light of the incident," Griselda finished. "And as you already know the last piece was lost long ago. The pieces that were stolen are the Excalibur Rapidly, Excalibur Nightmare, and Excalibur Transparency."

Despite the holy radiation he felt coming from the swords, Izuku felt the swords looked very impressive, especially the Excalibur Destruction. Looking at Yuuto, he saw his eyes narrowing at the swords. He prayed that his friend wouldn't try anything rash.

"I see. So what exactly is it you need from us?" Rias asked, narrowing her eyes as a sultry smile spread on her lips. "I have no information regarding the matter and if I did I wouldn't feel terribly inclined to give it to associates of the Church."

"We don't need information. This is simply a formal meeting to give you fair warning." Griselda dismissed, crossing her arms. "This conflict is between the Church and the Fallen Angels. All the higher-ups request is that you remain neutral in this. We won't cause an incident with you if you do the same for us."

"Are you insinuating that we would aid the Fallen Angels? That's a bold accusation," Rias asked, her own eyes accusing Griselda of such.

"The higher-ups might believe so, but I don't," Griselda said. "Which is why… I would like for your assistance if you're willing."

This caught everyone off-guard, especially Irina and Xenovia. "W-What?!" Irina exclaimed.

"Griselda, you cannot be serious!?" Xenovia said. "The devils are our mortal enemies. Working with them is- OW!" She was cut off as Griselda delivered a dope slap on her head.

"I don't like it any more than you, Xenovia," Griselda scolded. "But we're up against Kokabiel, a Cadre. _He's_ the enemy I'm worried about. As such, if our best chance of stopping him is working with the local devils, then we will. Understand?"

Xenovia gave a defiant expression but quickly backed down when Griselda narrowed her eyes at her. Puffing her cheeks, Xenovia turned her head away from her in annoyance. _'She's pouting…' _A resounding thought echoed with the devils, the tension from before now losing its edge.

"Well, back to the matter at hand, I can at least reassure your concerns," Rias spoke, turning Griselda's attention back to her. "I have no intention of aiding the Fallen Angels and would never be so foolish as to tarnish my family's name in doing so. But also remember that I have no obligation to aid your side, either. I must ask, though, why would the Church send only three exorcists for such an important matter? Even if one of you is a renowned exorcist, this seems both very foolish and extremely arrogant on the Church's part."

"It was originally only me and Xenovia. Griselda joined after learning certain…details…" Irina answered. Mizu, who had remained quiet throughout the whole meeting, looked in concern at Griselda, having a good idea of what that meant. "Regardless, we have the blessing of God on our side. If it's His plan for us to die for this mission then we will gladly accept," Irina said, looking irked. "But it's not like we're that foolish enough to throw our lives away. We do intend to come back alive with every ounce of our being."

"I see your beliefs are as inflexible as always. You seem too sure of yourself. Do you have a secret weapon?"

"We'll leave you to decide on that," Griselda stood up, Xenovia and Irina followed after. "Since there isn't anything else, we should take our leave now."

"Really? Why not stay for some tea?" Rias asked, gesturing at the set on the table.

"We appreciate the gesture, but we're fine without it," Xenovia said, not bothering to look back.

"Sorry, maybe some other time," Irina smiled sheepishly, trying to be a bit more polite to make up for her friend's bluntness.

Before Griselda went to open the door, Xenovia stopped, her eyes lingering on a particular vine haired girl. As she began taking in the features, she spoke, "Actually, there is one other thing that I wish to confirm. You're the witch Shiozaki Ibara, aren't you?"

Ibara's pupils shrunk as her body stiffened, bad memories immediately resurfacing in her mind when the blue-haired exorcist called her by that name. Izuku frowned and his fist balled up, glaring at the one responsible for his friend's triggering.

"Really? The former Holy Maiden of Japan? I didn't recognize her," Irina remarked, seeing Ibara in full, "I mean, sure she did get banished, but I never thought she'd be reincarnated into a devil…"

"Er…um…" Ibara stuttered fearfully.

"Xenovia, she's not important," Griselda said. "What became of a former nun who was banished is none of our concern." She gave a sharp look at Xenovia. "Let's go."

"Even if she was banished, to become a devil is a rather large jump," Xenovia declared, ignoring her foster sister's words. "I suppose once you've fallen that far, who knows how far you'll keep going. Tell me… do you still believe in God?"

"…Huh?" Ibara blinked.

"Isn't that asking too much?" Irina scolded, "She's a devil now so why would she still believe in God?"

"Even if she does, it's her choice to do so, not ours," Griselda added.

"I…" Ibara began slowly, "I can't just let it go. I lived with the Lord's teachings my whole life." Tears welled up in her eyes as she started to sob. "In spite of everything, I can't find myself giving up on God!"

Xenovia closed her eyes, looking almost regretful. "Is that so? In that case, it should be best to cut you down right here and now in the Lord's name. Perhaps then God would be able to forgive you." Ibara gasped fearfully as Xenovia brandished her sword.

"That's enough!" Rias shouted, standing up and getting ready to unleash her magic, "Don't you dare belittle my servant!"

"I am not belittling her. I am simply offering her a chance at redemption as a fellow woman of faith- Ow! OWOWOWOW!" Tears started to form in Xenovia's eyes as Griselda pulled on her ear. _Hard_.

"Xenovia…!" The older woman growled, causing the blue-haired exorcists to wince in fear. "Whether or not she still believes in God is not our concern. We're here to prevent a war, _not_ start one!"

"You won't lay a finger on her!" Turning back, Xenovia blinked as she realized that Izuku had somehow cut between her and Ibara, glaring at her fiercely. What surprised her the most was the red gauntlet that manifested on his arm. "What the hell gives you the right to judge someone simply because they wanted to help someone in danger?!"

Irina couldn't help but be slightly intimidated by her childhood friend. Though she wasn't that surprised at the reason for Izuku's anger. _'I guess, even as a devil, he's still a hero at heart,' _she thought, a warm smile spreading on her lips.

"Is that a challenge to the Church?" Xenovia asked, getting loose from Griselda's grip. "Perhaps I should teach that big mouth of yours a lesson."

"Oh, you won't be fighting him."

Everyone turned to the other person who suddenly spoke. Yuuto chuckled darkly as he approached them with his hands in his pockets. "If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to take a crack at you."

"And you are?" Xenovia asked.

"You can call me your senpai," Yuuto replied venomously, demonic swords sprouting around him, "Although compared to you, I'm just a failure."

Rias looked back and forth between Izuku, Yuuto, and the exorcists, with a look of panic and worry. After everything she tried to do, emotions still ran high and it was all about to be let loose in a bad way. And now, a fight was inevitable.

She looked to Mizu, a hint of desperation in her eyes for the sorcerer to intervene. What she got though, was not what she had hoped. "I have a suggestion," Mizu spoke up. "Since Yuuto and Xenovia are so keen on fighting, let's have a little spare to help settle things."

"WHAT?!" Rias exclaimed.

* * *

_"[Now arriving at Tatooin station.]"_

The overhead announcements rang throughout the station, passengers getting on and off the trains as it did so. Three certain passengers, though, paid the crowds no mind as they stepped out of the station.

One of them, a young woman with dark hair, stopped as she glared at the skyline. "I never thought I'd see this stupid city ever again. Still, it's better than hunting for some tiger."

"Stay focus, Raynare," said a blond woman with brown eyes, wearing a black suit. Raynare merely huffed in annoyance. The blond woman then turned to their third companion. "Senpai, is it really okay for you to be out in the open like this? What if someone recognizes you?"

The third person was a man in his early 20s. His skin was very pale and his black hair was short and choppy with long side bangs that turn white at the tips. He wore a dark brown coat and tinted glasses. His hand was covering his mouth as he coughed.

"*cough* *cough* If it becomes a problem, I'll deal with it." The disguised Akutagawa Ryunosuke replied. "Come. We have a war to prevent."

* * *

**AN:**

**Sorry to anyone who doesn't like the Balance Breaker thing, but there is some basis for it in the Light Novels. Marsilio, a member of the Hero Faction who appears in the short story, ****_Rias in Wonderland_****, lost his Balance Breaker because he felt satisfied, saying that his revenge was complete. And, (MANGA SPOILERS!) like how Izuku struggled to control Black Whip (MANGA SPOILERS off), it'll take a little while before Izuku can use his Balance Breaker properly.**

**Anyway, things are now heating up! Freed managed to kill Bakugo with a cheap shot, literally, only for someone to save him. Wonder who? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)**

**Izuku has reunited with Irina after 10 long years, only now they're on opposite sides. Big deal. Also, since we never learn what Griselda's hair color is in the Light Novels, I decided to give her green hair since, well, Xenovia had to have gotten the idea for the green streak in her hair from somewhere.**

**Oh, and Raynare's back, this time with Akutagawa and his subordinate/rabid fangirl Higuchi. That can't be good.**

**Next time, we'll see a couple of fights, an uneasy alliance, and more. So until then, stay safe, stay healthy, and listen to science.**

**See you next time. Go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!**


	28. Better the Devil You Know

**AN: My heart goes out to the friends and family of George Floyd. What happened was unforgivable and monstrous! And everything that happened afterward, from the protests to the arrests and attacks done to the media, is no better. America is slowly going to shit because of both that and COVID-19. And a certain old man is too weak and apathetic to help!**

***deep sigh* Sorry, I had to get that off my chest. And please, no flame wars. I won't hesitate to ban anyone who tries to start one.**

**Also, Hero Academia DxD now has a cover art! Done by DA's ****knilzy95**** through my commission.**

* * *

Later, outside of the club building, both Izuku and Yuuto stood face-to-face before Irina and Xenovia. Both young exorcists had already discarded their robes to reveal what the had underneath. They were in black-skin tight leotards with short sleeves, matching fingerless gloves that extended to their biceps, and thigh-high boots, all of which were adorned with straps. Every curve and shape was as clear as day, leaving nothing to the imagination, which caused Izuku to blush.

Off to the side near the edge of the tree line stood everyone else. "Let's make this clear," Griselda said to Rias. "This is only to be a private duel. Nothing will be told to the Church." She then turned to Xenovia. "Understand, Xenovia?"

Xenovia flinched. "Y-Yes."

"I'll step in if things get too far," Mizu declared. "Use of lethal force is prohibited. This _is _supposed to be a friendly spar, after all."

Xenovia nodded back, "Then let us begin. We shall test the strength of Rias Gremory's servants. Both her Pawn and our 'senpai'," she said, moving into a sword stance.

"Izuku! Yuuto!" Izuku looked over at Rias as she called over, "This may be just a sparing duel, but be wary of their holy swords!"

Izuku nodded, while Yuuto slowly laughed.

"What's so funny?" Xenovia asked.

"All my life I wanted to destroy at least one Excalibur," Yuuto smirked menacingly as twin swords flashed into his hands. "And right now, I have the perfect opportunity right before me. I may never get a chance like this again."

Griselda's trained eyes widened in mild surprise upon seeing the swords Yuuto created. "Sword Birth, the Demonic Creation Sword. Is he…"

Izuku looked at Yuuto, concerned for his current mental state.

"Zuku…" Izuku looked over at Irina, who appeared rather heartbroken. "I feel so conflicted. I'm so happy to see you again after all these years and that you're now following your dream, but at the same time you've become a devil during these past ten years…"

"You've changed during that time too," Izuku pointed out. "I can't understand why you would befriend someone who won't hesitate to kill someone just because they fell from grace."

"I'm honestly not sure myself," Irina replied. "Still, I never would've thought we would meet again like this. My dear friend becoming my enemy? This must be some cruel test put forth by God!" She bellowed dramatically, waving her arms around like a stage actress. "However! By overcoming this I shall be another step closer to God! Come on, Zuku! I shall pass judgment on you with this Excalibur!" Irina declared, pointing her sword at him, "Amen!"

Izuku sweat-dropped. _'Okay, she's a bit loopier then I remember… AND WHAT IS WITH HER OUTFIT?!'_ Izuku internally screamed, having a hard time ignoring how Irina was wearing a one-piece leotard that perfectly conformed to her body. Was she even wearing a bra? _'Seriously, why did the Church give her that?! Is there some unspoken law that women need to wear formfitting clothes?!'_

[As a being that's been around for hundreds of years, I can assure you that yes, it _is_ an unspoken law.]

Shaking down his blush, Izuku summoned his Boosted Gear and taking on his dragonic appearance as he did so. He slightly spread out his legs and moved into a fighting stance. Both exorcists looked in awe and curiosity at Izuku.

"W-What the?!" Irina exclaimed. "Since when can you do that?!"

"It's, uh, a long story," Izuku replied.

Yuuto took the preemptive strike and rushed in, "Are you here to gawk, or are you here to fight!?"

Xenovia quickly returned to her battle mindset as she brought up her Excalibur Destruction, clashing her blade against his, "Twilight Healing. Sword Birth. And Boosted Gear. Those Sacred Gears are seen as a mockery to those of us at the Church. And then there's the fact your friend is part dragon…" she broke away from Yuuto and moved to a guard. "Perhaps it was fate for all of you to become devils."

"My power is also the power made from the hatred of my comrades! Comrades that were killed while they were still full of regrets! And they won't rest in peace until I destroy every Excalibur in this world!" Yuuto roared as he rushed into another attack.

Izuku watched in worry at how Yuuto was fighting. He was normally calculating and careful when in a fight, but he's dropped that in favor of attacking blindly. His rage with the Excaliburs clouding his judgment.

[Focus, brat. She's coming!]

_'__Phrasing!'_ Izuku fought down his blush. He jumped to the side, just missing a swing from a katana. Already in motion, Irina glanced at Izuku from over her shoulder.

"You need to pay attention!" she chided, dropping to her hands and throwing a horse kick. Izuku rose up his arms and guarded himself against the blow, getting knocked back several feet. Irina flipped through the air landed a good distance from him before rushing forward with her sword drawn on front.

Izuku jumped into the air, spreading his wings, avoiding Irina's attack. Quickly, grabbed Irina by her shoulder and head. Flying up into the air, Izuku hurled her towards the ground. The young exorcists gaged as she landed, dropping her Excalibur in the process.

She groaned as she slowly got up, looking up at Izuku who was still suspended in midair. Despite herself, she could help but smile, happy at how strong her childhood friend had become.

"That looked like a move All Might used on the Nomu," Ochako noted. She and the rest of the ORC watched duel in worry. Mostly due to the fact that the two were fighting against two Excaliburs, two powerful holy weapons which could cause fatal damage if they weren't careful.

"It certainly looked like it," Kyoka said.

"Izuku-san seems to be faring well against an Excalibur wielding exorcist. He hasn't even Boosted yet," Momo commented an impressed smile on her face. Rias looked at the fight with a serious look.

"Still, I'm worried about Yuuto-san." Ibara said with a worried look. The ORC looked at the duel between Xenovia and Yuuto. Judging by the fight, Xenovia seemed to be taking the lead.

The exorcist smashed the Holy Eraser into the ground with a single swing, an explosion following after it. "Damn…!" Yuuto swore, quickly backing off as soon as his Holy Eraser fell. "Burn up! Freeze! Flare Brand, Freeze Mist!" Swords of fire and ice appeared in Yuuto's hands and he rushed forward to attack again.

"Using opposing elements of fire and ice to add to the Knight's natural speed and agility?" Xenovia observed, avoiding the trails of flame and frost with little effort. "Impressive strategy, but…!" She swung her Excalibur Destruction again, colliding with Yuuto's swords. Just like before, they shattered with a loud explosive burst. Yuuto was forced to back off again. "I said before, the Excalibur Destruction is the most destructive of all the Excaliburs…" Xenovia boasted proudly. "It's an invincible sword that can never be broken."

"Can never be broken, you say?" Yuuto repeated, wiping the sweat from his face. "Why don't we test that theory?" He stretched out his arm to the side as a glow entered his palm. "Sword Birth: Nise Yukinoha!" A familiar katana with its silver snowflake-shaped guard appeared in his hand. His hand latched onto the handle before Yuuto went onto the assault again, throwing rapid thrusts at his enemy.

"He copied my Yukinoha?" Mizu wondered out loud. It wasn't that much of a stretch. Sword Birth was capable of making any demonic sword Yuuto could think of, and she did let Yuuto borrow the real Yukinoha for the Rating Game against Riser. He must've memorized the blade's characteristics during that time.

Izuku took a moment to watch Yuuto in worry. Reminding himself that he was getting distracted again, Izuku quickly ducked from another blade swing before it reached his head.

"You seemed to be worried about your friend, Zuku," Irina said, her sword stretching around her like a snake. "Are you sure your mind is in this?"

"Don't worry about me, Rinchan," Izuku replied. "I can take care of myself now."

"I've noticed!" She giggled before looking down. "You know Zuku, it was really fun playing with you and dreaming to be heroes. I was really sad when my family had to move to England."

Izuku gave her a sympathetic look. "Yeah, me too. I was really crying back then when I heard you had to move. Honestly, even though we're on different sides now, I'm just glad to see you again." He assured her.

Irina smiled. "So am I. I'm glad that you're able to follow your dreams now, Zuku. Guess that gift I gave you before I left helped."

"Huh? What gift?" Izuku asked, raising an eyebrow.

Irina blushed red and shyly looked at Izuku, as if realizing she made a mistake. "Uh, w-well…" she stuttered. "I didn't want to have any regrets before I left. So I…I…I…" she muttered.

"You…what?" Izuku hesitantly asked.

"IkissedyouwhenyouwereasleepthenightbeforeIleft!" Irina confessed before covering her mouth, her face red.

Izuku's mouth dropped while Rias, Ibara, Ochako, and Ravel gasped in shock. Momo, Kyoka, Mizu, and Griselda blinked in surprise while Yuuto and Xenovia stopped fighting for a moment. And Koneko didn't seem to react at all, though her eyes did widen somewhat.

"Y-y-you were my first kiss?!" Izuku stuttered, unable to move.

_'__An opening!'_ Irina smirked and dashed forward.

Shaking off the shock, Izuku quickly dodged to the side, avenging Irina's attack and countering with a swift kick to the blade. Irina's grip on the sword was tighter than he expected since it didn't slip out of her hand. Irina gave a loud shriek as she griped her wrist in pain. Before she could recompose herself, Izuku was already at her side, his fist rolled back.

He quickly delivered a punch to Irina's abdomen, causing the girl to gag as she dropped her sword.

"Irina!" Xenovia shouted. Yuuto, seeing her distracted from her partner's defeat, mustered all the speed he had and gave himself another go.

"You should watch where you're looking!" Yuuto shouted, "Let's finish our duel as well!" The bluenette turned to an incoming strike from an ice blade, fired by Yuuto. She narrowed her eyes as she swung her Excalibur Destruction, shattering the ice blade.

Yuuto was already upon her, the ice blade having been a distraction, as a wave of cold emanated from the Nise Yukinoha. Xenovia narrowed her eyes and brought her Excalibur Destruction down as soon as it was within her striking range.

_*CRACK!*_

And the blade instantly broke into pieces.

"Guh?!" Yuuto gasped, watching as the Nise Yukinoha shattered in his hands.

"A very unique weapon, if I do say so myself. Unfortunately…!" Xenovia switched her sword upside down into a reverse grip and jabbed the pommel deep into Yuuto's stomach. Normally it wouldn't do much for any normal person, but with the blonde being a Devil, it caused much pain for Yuuto, and made him vomit blood. He was thrown several feet away from the victor and crashed onto his back, gasping loudly as he tried to force air back into his lungs.

"Your weapon is just an inferior copy of the true thing. If you had decided to focus on defeating me and not Excalibur itself, you could've won," Xenovia explained, planting the blade of her sword down on the grass next to her.

Looking over her shoulder, she saw that Izuku was ready to fight her. But over _his _shoulder, she saw Griselda shot her a look saying that they're done here.

Deciding to show a little humility, and not wanting to earn a scolding from Griselda, Xenovia turned to Izuku. "You did well against my friend. It seems that Rias Gremory has found some favorable servants. Although," she turned back to look at Yuuto, who was struggling to get up. "It seems that one has issues with his emotions, though."

Izuku frowned at her, "Yuuto-san isn't always like that. His emotions are just… overwhelming him right now."

"Oh," Xenovia blinked, "I suppose that explains his reckless swordplay. Sorry."

Seeing as how she didn't make any hostile moves, Izuku went over to Irina and offered his hand, "You okay, Rinchan?"

She looked up at her childhood friend and weakly smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just didn't expect that kind of attack from you," she took the hand which helped her up and wobbled a bit, the injuries hampering her movement.

Griselda looked over at Rias, "Since we both have a victory and a defeat on both sides, let's just call this a draw." Rias just gave a silent nod. "We will be on our way now. Irina, can you walk?"

"A little bit," Irina said, rubbing her stomach, "Just a bit beat up, that's all." Xenovia went over to her and helped over the shoulder, and three exorcists started walking out of the courtyard.

"Wait!" They turned as Yuuto struggled to his feet. He found himself slumping to the ground. Even if it was a non-lethal blow from a holy sword, it was still a blow from a holy sword regardless.

Xenovia gave him a pitiful look, "You have a unique set of swords thanks to your Sacred Gear and if used right with your speed they could be used in any situation. However, the way you are now, you cannot destroy Excalibur. You need to work harder on surpassing those limits of yours."

The three turned away as they left, but not before Irina looked at Izuku with a smile. "Looks like we'll have to end things here for now, Zuku. Next time we fight, I won't lose. Come and see me when you feel like being judged. Amen." Izuku gave a sigh in exasperation but waved goodbye.

With the exorcists gone, Ibara went over to Yuuto to heal him.

"You were awesome, Izu-kun!" Ochako smiled happily as she hugged the boy in question. Izuku's cheeks heated up in response.

"That was rather impressive," said Ravel.

"Uh, thanks," Izuku said, gently pushing Ochako off him.

"So, about what Irina said. Was it true?" Rias asked as she walked up. Izuku gulped nervously, looking at the demanding faces of Rias, Ochako, Ravel, and even Koneko, expecting an answer.

"Uh, w-well…"

"Yuuto-san, wait!"

The three looked over, seeing Yuuto suddenly get up as soon as Ibara had finished tending to his injuries. Rias was already running after him and grabbed onto Yuuto's arm. "Where do you think you're going? As your master, I cannot allow you to leave! You're going to cause trouble for everyone!"

Yuuto shrugged her arm away from him, not even looking back at her. "I'm sorry, Buchou. As long as I have these feelings inside me, I don't think I can let this chance go away. Thank you for everything, but now I have to set off to fulfill what my comrades asked me to." Yuuto didn't say anything else as he walked out of the courtyard, no one having it in them to stop him.

Rias grimaced as she unknowingly rested her hand over her chest, "Oh Yuuto…" she whispered sadly, "How did things turn out like this…?"

* * *

"This is it," Bakugo grumbled, standing before a large apartment complex. Honestly, he had nearly ignored the note and went home, but something was nagging at him to do what the note said. Obviously, whoever it was who helped him the other night wanted to talk, and Bakugo wasn't the type to be indebted to someone, especially if he didn't know who they are.

Ringing the doorbell, Bakugo impatiently waited for someone to answer for about a minute before ringing again. "Hold on, damnit!" Someone, a girl based on the voice, yelled from inside. The door soon opened, revealing a young girl with blond hair styled in twin short side ponytails and blue eyes. Her outfit was a gothic lolita outfit, consisting of a black Lolita dress with white frills, a large black bow on the front, a green jewel embedded in the collar, white thigh-high socks, and black shoes. She also wore a large black bow on top of her hair.

"Oh, right," she groaned. "The boss did say that was today. Come on in."

Bakugo scowled (well, scowled more than usual) at how rude the girl was as followed. As he did so, a young man not much older then him walked by. Bakugo spared the guy a single glance at his blue eyes, and it was all it took to send a shiver down Bakugo's spine. Something told him that this guy was dangerous.

The young man smiled as he continued to walk toward the door. "Where the hell are you going?" The girl asked.

"Out," the young man replied, opening the door. "It's too boring here."

* * *

The next day, Izuku sat quietly at the table, playing chess with Liana as their friends chatted around them during lunch. "So what've you guys been doing to train for the sports festival?" Ochako asked. "I've been trying to up my Quirks weight limit."

"Weight training mostly," Itsuka answered.

"Shrinking and growing things," Yui flatly replied.

"I have been doing as many laps as I could around the gym," Iida added.

"I've been jumping off buildings in the training areas!" Tetsutetsu announced.

"Me too!" Kirishima exclaimed. "We should try that together!"

"Great idea!"

"Are we sure these two aren't long lost twins or something?" Setsuna smirked.

"What about you Midoriya? What have you been doing?" Liana asked, moving one of her rooks. But she didn't get a response. "Midoriya?"

"Huh?" Izuku looked up. "Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind, is all."

"I can tell," Liana nodded. "Checkmate, by the way."

"Huh?" Izuku looked over the board. Sure enough, Liana moved her black rook to the perfect position, effectively trapping Izuku's king piece.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Liana asked.

"Yeah," Izuku replied. "I'm fine."

Milia, who was sitting a couple of spaces away, looked worryingly at Izuku.

Looking around, Izuku spotted Saji in the distance, talking with a teacher, no doubt doing student council duties.

"We've been training so much, I think we could all use some well-deserved fun," Mina proclaimed. "I've heard that an old shrine is holding a horror movie marathon tonight. Does anyone wanna come?"

"Sounds intriguing," said Reiko. "I shall partake in this."

"I'm in!" Kirishima and Tetsutetsu exclaimed at the same time.

"Oh, sounds fun!" Said Ochako. "I'll go!"

"I'll have to pass," Liana polity declined. "I need to head straight home today."

"I'll have to decline as well," said Iida. "My brother will be home today and he promised that we'll train together."

"Well, I'm in!" Said Setsuna. "What about you, Itsuka?"

"Sorry, but I'll have to pass," Itsuka said.

"You have plans, as well?"

"No, not that," Itsuka shook her head. "I just don't like shrines or churches that much. I always get the chills when I'm near one."

"What, afraid of ghosts?" Setsuna teased, wrapping an arm around Itsuka.

"N-No!" Itsuka denied.

"You in on this, Midoriya?" Kirishima asked.

"Sorry, but I'll have to decline, too," Izuku replied. "I have… plans later." With that, he got up with his tray and left.

Milia watched as Izuku approached Saji and talked with him for a moment before moving on. "Is something wrong, Milia?" Pony, who was sitting next to her, asked.

"I'm… not sure, Pony," Milia replied. "But I'll find out."

* * *

As soon as classes ended, Izuku left school grounds. He had been surprised when Saji had agreed to meet up with him so easily, even when Izuku had told him that he couldn't tell him what it was until after the school day had finished. The two had agreed to meet at a nearby cafe after school.

As he walked, he couldn't help but think about the mission Rinchan and those other exorcists were on. _'Why would the fallen angels steal three Excaliburs?'_ He thought. _'The only reason I could think of would be to use them. It must be someone important if they want to start a war._ _But who?'_

His eyes widened, a perfect target coming to mind. "Buchou…" Izuku's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Her brother is the Devil King. If someone wielding an Excalibur attacked her, then everyone would assume the Church was responsible. If that were to happen…" Izuku was cut off by a strong tug on his shirt and turned. His eyes widened in surprise from seeing Koneko, looking at him with narrowed eyes.

"What are you doing? You should be at the club building doing activities," the middle-schooler said.

"I… was just on my way. I decided to take the scenic route today, that's all," Izuku replied, trying to feign ignorance.

"You're horrible at lying," Koneko said, looking unimpressed. Her gaze slowly softened, "You're worried about Yuuto-senpai, aren't you?"

"…Yeah," Izuku nodded. "I want to ask those exorcists from yesterday if they'll let me help them take back the holy swords… or destroy them."

"You want to cooperate with the Church?" Koneko asked.

"Yuuto-san wants to destroy Excalibur, and Griselda-san is willing to work with us, so it works out," Izuku pointed out. "And I'd rather not let Rinchan handle this by herself."

"Who?"

Izuku early jumped out of his skin before turning around. He sighed in relief upon seeing Milia. "T-Takamaki-san, why are you here?"

"I noticed you were acting off during lunch," she answered. "I was your classmate in middle school for over a year, I can tell when something is bothering you," her expression darkened. "What's this about exorcists?"

* * *

Izuku explained what was happening to Milia on the way. Surprisingly, she agreed to keep quiet about it and wanted to help. As such he, Milia, and Koneko sat at an outdoor table of the cafe, Izuku and Milia getting some water while Koneko ordered a rather large desert.

"Hey there, Green," Hearing the familiar tomboyish voice, Izuku looked up and saw both Saji and, surprisingly, Tsubasa.

"Yura-san? Why are you here?" Izuku asked.

"Sorry, it was kinda my fault," Saji admitted.

"I saw Saji try to sneak off campus and followed," she replied. "So, what's this 'secret meeting' about?" She asked with a smile and her hands on her hips.

It took about a minute for Izuku to explain. Once he was done, Saji was quick to voice his response:

"HELL NO! ARE YOU INSANE?" He whispered loudly, looking at Izuku with wide eyes.

"I'm serious," Izuku said.

Saji jumped out of his seat and exclaimed, "You can forget it!" This caused some of the other consumers to look at him, which he noticed and sat down.

Tsubasa then leaned a bit towards Izuku. "You do realize that our masters would never allow this," she said in a whispered, slightly scared. "We could get into serious trouble!"

"Forget that! We'll get killed! Besides, isn't this a Gremory problem? What's this got to do with me?!" Saji demanded.

"I thought you would be willing to help," Izuku said.

"You gotta be kidding me!" Saji exclaimed. "I don't know what Rias-senpai and Kudelia-senpai are like, but if Sona-kaichou finds out, she'll totally split our asses in two!" Saji jumped out of his seat. "Do what you want, but leave me out of this," he demanded and turned around. He was going to walk away, but flinched and let out a yelp when Tsubasa grabbed him by his shirt, stopping him.

A few moments later, Saji was forced to sit back down. He was beginning to cry. "I wanna go home," he sobbed and attempted to run away, but Tsubasa grabbed his shirt and pulled him back down.

"I'll ask again: Do you really want to corporate with the Church?" Koneko asked.

"Those three said themselves that they would rather have the swords destroyed than let the fallen angels keep them," Izuku said. "Plus Griselda-san was willing to ask for our help yesterday. And Yuuto wants to destroy Excalibur to avenge his old friends. The reasons are different, but the goals align."

"I don't think that'll be as easy as it sounds," Tsubasa commented, Koneko nodding in agreement.

"We'll also be keeping this a secret from Kudelia-sama and the others," Milia pointed out.

"I don't like keeping this a secret from them either, but they wouldn't approve of this otherwise. And I know the exorcists probably won't listen, but we should at least try," Izuku argued. "If we don't, then it won't be long before Yuuto-san is declared a stray. There won't be much we can do to help if that were to happen." Izuku then stood up and looked at each of them with an understanding look. "I'm not asking for any of your help. I'm willing to do this alone if I have to."

Surprisingly, Milia was the first to stand up. "I'll go," she said. "From the sounds of things, Kiba-san is going through a lot. I want to help in any way I can. And… there's something I wish to ask these exorcists…"

Koneko then stood up. "I won't run away," the white-haired girl said, her eyes filled with strength. "It's for our friend, so I'll do it."

Sighing, Tsubasa smirked as she stood up as well, pulling a complaining Saji up with her. "I'll go. Being a hero is about helping others, after all. And I'll make sure he doesn't try to inform Kaichou," she said, referring to Saji.

"Oh, come on, Tsubasa!" The Sitri Pawn wailed.

Izuku was amazed with the determination they all showed. He smiled, wiping away tears. "Right, then let's get to it."

* * *

"Please give blessings to these lost lambs."

"Please give charity to us on behalf of the father in heaven!"

"How in the name of the Lord did I let this happen?" Griselda lamented, holding an empty box as Xenovia and Irina begged any passerby for money. "I leave you two alone for one day, and you go and wast all of our money!"

"D-Don't blame me! Blame Irina!" Xenovia accusingly pointed at said girl, to the twin-tails shock. "_She's_ the one who wasted our money, not me!"

"It's both of your faults!" Griselda yelled, causing the two young exorcists to flinch. "The Church only gave us enough money for food and transport. Now all we have left is that stupid painting! At this rate, we're gonna have to sell to get by," she argued as she tried to take the picture.

"No way!" Irina frowned, taking hold of the picture, "This is a picture of a saint! You can't do that!"

"Irina, there's a chance that it's fake," Griselda said.

"Even if it is real, just who pray tell is this picture supposed to be of anyway?" Xenovia asked.

"Saint… Peter. Yes, St. Peter, that's right!"

"That doesn't look anything like St. Peter and you know it!" Xenovia snapped. "It looks more like a finger painting that a 4th grader would make! Just look around! There's nobody giving us charity at all! I never had much respect for countries that lack in faith, but this is a new low!" Xenovia continued, gesturing her hands at the pedestrians. "If you Protestants had the amount of respect for saints that us Catholics did, you'd be able to see it for the counterfeit that it is!"

"Hah?!" Irina exclaimed, looking cross, "You dumb Catholics are way too stuck in your old laws to try and say anything about respecting saints!"

"What?!" Xenovia growled, "I dare you to say that again!"

"Dummy~! Dummy~! Flat Earth dummy~!" Irina sang mockingly, pulling down an eyelid and sticking out her tongue.

"New age heretic!" Xenovia shot back.

"Stop it, both of you!" Griselda snapped, getting the two young girls attention.

_*GGGRRRROOOOOWWWLLLL!~*_

This was accompanied by the loud noise of their stomachs growling angrily. Griselda slumped over while the two girls slumped to their knees. "We need to get some food soon or we'll never be at full strength," the older woman sighed.

"Can we ask that sorcerer friend of yours for help?" Xenovia asked.

"I… never asked where she lives. Besides, it's a school day and she may be too busy," Griselda admitted.

"I got an idea! What if we try robbing pagans of their money?" Irina suggested, a mischievous smirk appearing on her face, "Since it's for a dire cause I'm sure God will forgive us."

"I'll do one better. We should raid a temple," Xenovia said, the same smirk appearing on her face.

"A couple of problems. One, we run risk of angering the Shinto gods." Griselda countered. "And two…" she pointed across the street. There, a pro hero and a police officer were having a conversation.

"…Oh, yeah. Then we'd have to deal with the heroes and police, won't we?" Irina sighed.

"Um… yeah, you got me there," Xenovia said as she rubbed her cheeks to think of something else. "We can use our Quirks in a street performance. That should give us a decent amount of money."

"But Japan has very strict Quirk laws," Irina pointed out. "Without a license or a permit we can't use them out in public. Even if we have those, only Griselda's Quirk is in any way flashy. Ours are pretty much useless for something like this."

"Oh, good point," Xenovia sighed. "Then maybe we can use our swords to skewer fruit or something?"

"But we don't have any fruit to cut," Griselda pointed out.

This caused Xenovia to take hold of the picture, "Then let's cut this thing instead."

"But you can't do that!" Irina shouted, snatching the picture away.

"Fine! Then let's look for the merchant who sold that counterfeit to you and get our money back!"

"I told you that it's not counterfeit! It's a portrait of St. Paul!"

"Ha!" Xenovia pointed accusingly, "You said it was St. Peter before! That means you can't even tell who it's supposed to be with such a crude fake drawing!"

Griselda could only sigh in exasperation as her ward and Irina got into another childish argument. Then she noticed something in the corner of her eye. Apparently, Izuku and the others had been silently watching them in bewilderment.

"Uh…" Izuku was honestly unsure of what to say or do.

"Zuku?" Irina blurted out, finally noticing the presence of her childhood friend.

Xenovia quickly turned toward the gathered devils, distrust in her eyes. "What do you want?"

Izuku flinched at the harshness of Xenovia's tone, but answered anyway. "W-We're going to get something to eat. Would you like to join us?"

"If you think I'll sink so low as to accept help from devils then-"

_*GROOOWL!~*_

Xenovia was cut off by her stomach, the normally stoic girl blushing in embarrassment.

"…We'll gladly accept your gracious offer," Griselda said, Irina nodding.

"I was kinda hoping they wouldn't…" Saji lamented, tears streaming down his face.

* * *

"Delicious!" Xenovia exclaimed, rapidly eating her omurice. "I didn't think Japanese food would be so good!"

"Yes, yes!" Irina agreed, scarfing down her beef bowl. "This is it! This is the taste of the food of my homeland!"

Griselda didn't say anything, but she was eating at a far faster pace than what's considered 'normal', though not as fast as the other two.

After having them agree to let them buy them food, Izuku and the others brought the three exorcists to a nearby restaurant. While the devils ordered drinks, Xenovia and Irina looked as though they were going out of their way to order everything on the menu.

Once finished, Irina quickly took hold of the menu, a small smile on her face. "The real fun starts with dessert!"

"What do they have?" Xenovia excitedly asked, leaning over Irina's shoulder to get a better look at the dessert menu.

After finishing her water, Griselda placed her cup on the table. The sound of it being placed caused silence to settle at the table. "So, why did you come to us?" she asked.

Izuku took a deep breath. This was it. "We want to help you destroy one of the Excaliburs."

Xenovia and Irina both looked surprised at what he just said, while Griselda's eyes widened.

"I see," the older Exorcist nodded. "Very well. We'll allow you to destroy one of the swords."

Izuku and the other devils all blinked. "…Wait. Just like that?!" Izuku asked. He honestly hadn't expected for this to be so easy.

Saji grumble and turned away from them, muttering under his breath, "Dammit! Why couldn't she have just said 'no' like I was hoping!?"

"Hold on, Griselda, is this really okay?!" Irina asked. "I mean, even if it's Zuku, they're still devils. What if headquarters finds out?"

"No, she's right," Xenovia shook her head. "We're up against Kokabiel, a survivor of the Great War who fought evenly against Vasco Strada. As much as I hate to admit it, our best chance of securing the stolen swords and going home alive _is_ to seek the devils help."

"…Alright." Irina sighed. "I've always said your faith was weird. Guess you got it from Griselda."

"Your faith is just as weird," Xenovia shot back. "Didn't you admit to kissing a devil the other day?"

Irina's face immediately turned red while Izuku started to sweat nervously. This didn't go unnoticed by Saji, Tsubasa and Milia, the later two quickly figuring out what Xenovia meant.

"Is that right?" Tsubasa asked, an eye twitching.

"Uh…" Irina fidgeted nervously from where she sat. "Well… S-So, w-when do we start?" She asked, wishing to change the subject.

Izuku pulled out his phone right away. "I'll text Yuuto-san. With any luck, he hasn't blocked any of our numbers."

As Izuku sent the message, Milia spoke up. "While we wait, there's something I want to ask you three," she said, referring to the exorcists. "A little over a year ago, an exorcist killed a devil and a human in this city. Do you know who it was?"

"You'll have to be more specific," Xenovia said.

"My parents," all eyes widened as they slowly turned to Milia. "We were having a quiet life, out in the country, away from the villains and other problems of the city. And then one day, an exorcist with three arms just showed up and attacked them!" She exclaimed, tears building up in her eyes. "What did they do, huh? Why did he kill them?!"

"Uh, well," Irina tried to say. "That's because-"

"They did nothing wrong!" Tears began to flow down Milia's cheeks. "So why? Why did… Why did they have to die?" Breaking down, Milia clung onto Izuku, crying into his shoulder.

Izuku and the other devils gave sympathetic looks as he tried to comfort her. Irina found herself feeling sympathetic for Milia, as well as feeling conflicted with her sympathies.

Xenovia wanted to say something, anything that'll rebuke Milia's statement, but she couldn't. In fact, for some strange reason, she felt ashamed to even think of such a thing.

Griselda had no reservations in showing the crying devil sympathy. In fact, her face darkened as she went over Milia's description of the exorcist. "An exorcist with three arms? Could it be Siegfried?!"

"Who?" Izuku asked.

"Chaos Edge Sieg," Griselda continued. "The Demonic Sword User, he was a top-class knight among the Churches and a ruthless devil-purger. It's rumored that he's recently left the Orthodox Church and gone rouge, though no one knows why."

Griselda then looked to Milia, the girl having calmed down some. "With the way things are, the Church likely won't hold Siegfried accountable for your parents' deaths, but I promise, I'll do whatever I can to make him pay for what he's done."

Before anything else was said, Izuku's phone began to ring. Izuku raised his phone back up, his eyes lighting up with surprise. "It's Yuuto. He says he's on his way."

* * *

"…I understand the situation," Yuuto replied after listening to their plan to look for the holy swords. After Yuuto had come after he was told about what they were planning, he listened quietly as he was told about the alliance between the two groups. His expression was still cold, but he appeared to be more willing to listen. "To be completely honest, I really regret that I have to come crawling to some holy sword user and ask for help."

"You're got quite a way with words," Xenovia commented.

"I understand your grudge against both Excalibur and the Holy Sword Project," said Irina. "We've heard that a survivor of the Holy Sword Project had the Sword Birth Sacred Gear, and you match that description. Is that you?"

Yuuto nodded, "That's right."

"But the project did help. More holy sword wielders have increased significantly thanks to the results," she added.

"Oh? Did you also hear about the failures of the project?" Yuuto hissed. "The Church could've simply let us go after we were shown to not have any aptitude for the holy swords, but instead they opted to kill us!"

"You're right," Griselda nodded, looking remorseful, "What happened to you and the other children was unforgivable. It's one of the worst incidents to happen under the Church's watch. However, the higher-ups, in their 'wisdom', decided to charge the one responsible for the project with heresy and excommunicate him. Now he's working with the Fallen Angels."

"What's this man's name?" Yuuto asked.

"Valper Galilei, the Genocidal Archbishop," Griselda answered.

Yuuto gave a hate-filled look, "Yeah, it was him." He growled.

"Then what does this have to do with Freed?" Izuku asked.

"It's not uncommon for there to be commotion among those who've been banned from the Church," Xenovia stated.

"That's why we have to stop them," Irina said

"So I can reach him if I go after the fallen angels with you?" Yuuto asked and, when Griselda nodded her head in confirmation, stood up from his seat. "In that case, I can't think of any reason for me not to cooperate with you," he muttered in a resigned tone.

This brought a sense of ease for everyone as Griselda nodded. "We will contact you when we're ready with a plan. When that time comes, meet us at the abounded church."

Xenovia then handed Izuku a piece of paper. "If something happens, call this number," she said.

"Before we leave there's one thing I want to ask," Griselda's expression darkened immensely. "Have any of you encountered… a woman with spider-like traits?"

Izuku, while frightened by Griselda's tone, nodded. "Y-Yeah, we kinda did."

Griselda's eyes narrowed.

"We were hunting what we thought was a stray devil, but this… woman had already killed it… along with a dozen other people," Koneko added.

"Can you describe her?" Griselda demanded.

"Uh, well, she wore mostly black with a bit of purple and gold, was about 194 cm tall, had spider-like legs coming from her back, and had six purple eyes," as Izuku finished her description, Griselda's fist tightened.

"It _is_ her…" Griselda hissed, her voice seething with rage. So much so that it caused everyone present to recoil a bit in terror. Griselda then took a deep breath, calming down, before saying, "Thank you for the food and for the information. Girls, let's get going."

"Thanks for the meal," Xenovia said. "We'll be sure to repay you for this favor, Midoriya Izuku," she said as she stood up to take her leave.

"Thanks for the food, Zuku! Even though you're a devil, I'm sure He will forgive me since it's your treat!" Irina waved as she and her partner followed Griselda.

As the group watched the three exorcists go, Tsubasa let out a sigh of relief. "Well, that went well," she said.

"THAT COULD HAVE WENT HORRIBLY!" Saji yelled at her. "Not only could we have gotten killed, but we could have also started another war!"

Yuuto turned to Koneko and Izuku with an uncertain gaze. "I don't understand why would you help," he told them.

Izuku looked at him a little sadly. "Because I'm your friend, simple as that," Izuku answered.

"And if I did something rash on my own, it'll cause trouble for Buchou," Yuuto quickly added. "I'm sure you had that in mind, too."

"Kinda, yeah," Izuku nodded. "And since we just made that deal with the exorcists without Buchou knowing, we're gonna cause trouble for her no matter what. But at least this way you won't become a stray."

Yuuto didn't reply, still very unsure about what to do. A small tug pulled on his sleeve. He looked down and saw Koneko looking back at him. Her stoicness had been replaced by a sad, pleading expression.

"Yuuto-senpai… I don't want you to leave, so that's why I'm helping," Koneko pleaded cutely. "So please don't leave… I'll be sad if you do."

Izuku's face heated up slightly, not expecting Koneko to be able to act so cutely. Yuuto's face softened at the look given to him and sadly smiled. "Geez… if you make a face like that, how could I say no?" he sighed. "Alright fine, you win Izuku-kun. Thanks to you, I managed to get a chance to destroy Excalibur and know who my true enemy is."

"Umm, guys…" Saji said, holding up his hand, "I get why we're doing this but what does Excalibur got to do with Kiba here?"

"I've… been wondering that myself." Tsubasa said, with Milia tilting her head.

"Oh, that's right. Since you're not part of our peerage, you don't know," the blonde sighed. "See, the Catholic Church conducted an experiment behind the scenes known as the 'Holy Sword Project'. At a European facility, they attempted to produced individuals capable of wielding holy swords. The test subjects were orphans who either had Sacred Gears or an unusual talent for swordplay. Many of them didn't even have names, including me. Day after day, they put us through painful, inhuman experiments. We weren't even treated as humans and our lives were ignored. But we had a dream. To live on. Forced to believe that we were loved by God, and we were just waiting for 'that day' to come. Believing that one of us would become special. But none of us could wield a holy sword. The experiment failed… We were marked for 'disposal'."

Yuuto stopped, taking a deep breath as his hate-filled expression faded slightly as he explained just _how_ he and the others were disposed of: poison gas. "That day everyone died, we were killed because we couldn't wield holy swords. We prayed to Him every day hoping we would wield even a simple holy sword but it was all a lie in the end. The only reason I escaped was because my brothers and sisters sacrificed themselves to give me a chance. I wasn't able to get far, though, as the poison spread through my system. I was about to draw my last breath… when I met Buchou. Ever since I was reincarnated, I hold my comrades' regrets hoping that one day I can surpass Excalibur."

Izuku bit his lip. He had already heard the story from Rias, but hearing the story from Yuuto's perspective was something else. Tsubasa was visibly shaken by Yuuto's account, her eyes wide. Milia had placed her hands over her mouth, tears forming in her eyes again.

As for Saji, he was sobbing and wiping the tears from his eyes from such a sad story. "Oh man, Kiba! I feel ya, man! I really do! You know I thought you were some playboy prince but I didn't realize how harsh your past life was. You know what? You got my support! I'll help you in any way I can!"

Yuuto blinked in confusion, but smiled, "Uh… sure. Thanks."

"Alright since we're talking about ourselves. I think it's fair you guys should know about my dream!" Saji announced, pounding his hand on his chest. "My dream… is to marry my master, Sona Sitri-kaichou, and impregnate her with a child so we can-!"

_*BONK!*_

Saji wasn't able to finish his declaration, Tsubasa having slammed her fist into his head. "You need to learn to keep your big mouth shut," she groaned in embarrassment.

Saji's only response was a pained gag as he wrote Tsubasa's name in blood on the ground.

"Pervert," Koneko whispered, shooting a dirty look at Saji's direction.

Milia's face flushed at how… At Saji's dream.

Yuuto couldn't help but give a humorous laugh.

Izuku made a mental note to _never_ ask what Mineta's dream was.

* * *

Izuku sat quietly at his desk. It was their free period and Izuku usually spent it going over his notes, but not lately. It had been four days since the agreement with Griselda, Xenovia and Irina to help locate and retrieve the stolen Excalibur swords.

Four days and yet they had found absolutely no trace of either the stolen swords or Freed. To say it was frustrating would be a vast understatement. Every night, after he and Koneko had finished their obligations with the ORC, they would join up with Yuuto, who couldn't bring himself to return back to Rias without finally getting closure, Milia, Tsubasa, Saji and the three exorcists, disguise themselves by dressing up in priest clothing and explore town with the intention of drawing out the insane exorcist.

But that approach quickly proved more difficult than it sounded. The city was already big to begin with and there were plenty of places for Freed and Valper to hide, so it wasn't expected that they would find them even with the added help to cover more ground.

Izuku was trying to come up with a way to help narrow their search. He was currently writing down areas where few people frequented, thinking that Freed and Valper might be hiding in places like that.

"Izu-kun?"

He looked up, seeing a concern looking Ochako. "Oh, Ochako-san. Is something wrong?"

"That's what _I_ should be asking _you_," she said. "You've been coming home late for the last few days and you've been acting off. What's wrong, Izu-kun?"

Izuku hesitated to answer. A big part of him wanted to tell her and everyone else, but he didn't want to get them in any further trouble yet. "I've just… been doing some late night training is all."

Ochako's eyes narrowed slightly, clearly not buying it.

_'…__Okay, definitely not the best excuse I ever made.'_ He admitted.

Ochako sighed as she shook her head. "Izuku, if something's bothering you, you can tell us. That's what friends are for, after all," she said before leaving the classroom.

Once outside, Ochako sighed again as she leaned against the wall. "Nothing?" Ibara, who had been waiting outside, asked.

"Yeah," Ochako replied. "I wish Izu-kun would open up and tell us what's going on."

"What's going on?"

The two devils turned and saw Kiryuu walking toward them.

"Oh, Aika-san," Ibara greeted.

"Something happening with your boyfriend?" Kiryuu teased.

Ibara and Ochako blushed in response, unable to formulate a response for a few seconds. Ochako recovered first. "Izu-kun's not our boyfriend. And… he seems depressed."

"Really?"

Ibara nodded. "We honestly don't know what's wrong or how to help."

"So Midoriya is depressed and you two want to make him feel better?" Kiryuu asked. The girls nodded. Kiryuu hummed in thought before snapping her fingers. "I know what'll do the trick!"

* * *

Raynare scowled as she overlooked the Musutafu skyline, the sun having long set. They've been here for nearly a week and still, nothing. The Port Mafia's underground sources have failed to bring in any information, and none of the old hideouts Raynare frequented didn't turn up anything. Clearly they need to broaden their search.

"To think I'd return to this wretched city to stop a war. And worst of all, I may have to fight Kokabiel!" She sighed, thinking back to the meeting with the Boss a few days ago.

* * *

_"__You want us to prevent a war?" Raynare asked. She, along with Akutagawa and his subordinate Higuchi, stood before Mori in his office._

_"__Yes," Mori replied. "A rogue group of fallen angels have stolen three of the Excaliburs and plan to use them to reignite the Great War between the Three Biblical Factions. They're currently residing in Musutafu, which is where two younger siblings of the Four Satans are residing. Their leader just so happens to be your old superior, Kokabiel."_

_The mere mention of his name caused Raynare to quake in fear. "W-Why…?"_

_"__I was informed of this situation by an… acquaintance of mine," Mori continued. "While he's confident he can stop Kokabiel on his own, he felt best to warn us in the event war does break out. If that were to happen, it be bad for our business. As such, I felt it best to intervene. Raynare, you are familiar with the enemy and know the layout of the city, as such you will take part in this mission. Akutagawa and Higuchi will accompany you."_

* * *

Raynare's fist tightened. "The only reason I'm here is because I'm more afraid of the Boss than Kokabiel."

***ring ring***

Raynare silently took out her phone and answered. "Yeah?"

_"__{It's me,}" _the voice of Higuchi answered. _"{I may have found a lead.}"_

That piqued Raynare's interests. "Go on."

_"__{It's nothing concrete, but someone reported seeing a man wearing priest clothing carrying a sword in the Eisteiku district about an hour ago. There's no guarantee that he's still there, but…}"_

"We can't miss this chance," Raynare finished. "I'll get there as soon as I can. What about Akutagawa?"

_"__{I've already informed Akutagawa-senpai. He's still on the other side of the ward, so it'll take him a little while to arrive.}"_

* * *

Irina did her best not to gag as she, Griselda, and Xenovia walked the late-night streets of the Eisteiku district, the… less than pleasant part of the city.

The place was filthy. Trash littered every nook and cranny. The air tasted like an ashtray and smelled of rotting carcasses and cheap marijuana. The nearby ore-processing factory where most of the residents went to for work was the likely culprit.

"Looks like nothing tonight, either," she sighed.

"This is starting to feel hopeless," Xenovia lamented.

"We can't get discouraged," said Griselda. "Maybe one of the others found something."

Ever since they started, the makeshift alliance split into groups of three. Irina, Xenovia, and Griselda were one group, Izuku, Koneko, and Milia were another, and Yuuto, Tsubasa and Saji were the last group. If any of them found either information on their target of the target itself, they'll contact the others immediately.

"I wonder if Zuku and the others found something?" Irina said.

"Not much, I'm afraid."

The three exorcists turned and saw Izuku, Milia, and Koneko, wearing priest clothing, walking up to them. "No luck, huh?" Koneko deadpanned.

"I'm afraid not," Griselda sighed. "Do you suppose the other group found something?"

"We haven't heard from them yet, but maybe," said Izuku.

"If they don't find anything, then where else could we look?" Xenovia asked.

"Well, there's Endoru Forest Park," Izuku suggested. "It's rather large, so they could be hiding there. But it could take hours to cover it all."

"I'm starting to think we should tell Kudelia-senpai and the others," said Milia.

As the group debated on what to do, Xenovia's eye caught movement. It was swift, and the dark sky made it somewhat difficult to tell the shape, but there was no mistaking it: it was a fallen angel.

Without warning, she bolted after it. "Hey, Xenovia!" Griselda called, but the blue-haired exorcist ignored her.

It didn't take long for Xenovia to catch up with her target, who had flown into a back-alley. "Caught you!" The cloth wrapping her sword unraveled as she swung in at her target. The fallen angel dodged to the side, brandishing a red spear of light forming in her hand.

"Who the hell are you?" The fallen angel, Raynare, demanded.

"Who I am doesn't matter," Xenovia narrowed her eyes dangerously, pointing the Excalibur Destruction at her. "Where is your master?!"

"What the fuck are you talking about?!" Raynare snapped back.

"Don't play dumb!" Xenovia would've attacked again, but several bullets flying past her face stopped her. She quickly took cover behind an adjacent wall, the onslaught of bullets pinning her there.

"Higuchi!" Raynare acknowledged, the blond woman running to her side, wielding two sub-machine guns, both of which were pointing to where Xenovia had taken cover.

"Raynare, what the hell happen?" Higuchi asked.

"Some crazy exorcist attacked me and demanded to know where my master was!" Raynare answered.

"An exorcist?" Higuchi blinked. "This might be the exorcist we're looking for."

"If she is, then we-" Raynare's eyes widened. "Look out!"

She pulled Higuchi aside, just when a car landed where they were.

"A car?!"

"Xenovia!"

The two mafiosos turned and saw the others run into the alley. Hate filled Raynare's eyes when she saw that Izuku, Milia, and Koneko, who was likely the one who threw the car, were with them.

"R-Raynare?!" Izuku gasped.

"What's she doing here?!" Milia demanded.

With a scream, Higuchi aimed her guns at the new arrivals and fired. Most of them took cover, but Koneko stood her ground, the bullets not affecting her.

"She's shrugging off the bullets?" Higuchi gasped.

"The white-haired one is a Rook," Raynare said. "Bullets, even if they're blessed, won't work."

Higuchi narrowed her eyes. "In that case…" aiming her guns upward, she fired several shots. Not long after they were shot, the bullets began to curve in midair, their trajectory changed.

"Get down!" Griselda called out. Everyone took cover as the bullets rained down on them. Izuku and Irina hid behind the car Koneko had thrown while Milia, Xenovia, and Griselda took cover in an adjacent alley.

"She can change the trajectory of the bullets?" Izuku observed.

**Higuchi Ichiyou, Quirk: Trajectory Control. She can change the trajectory of the bullets she fires, allowing her to shoot any target at any given angle and from long distances.**

"This doesn't make sense," Milia said. "Why's the Port Mafia in the city?"

"Better question is why Raynare's in the city," Koneko said, standing close to Irina and Izuku.

"I don't know, but we can't find out if that blond woman can literally shot us from anywhere," said Irina.

"I got her," detaching from a clip on her hip, a bow unfolded as she loaded an arrow. With a gentle twist, Griselda shot the arrow, it too curving in the air as it hit its target.

Higuchi yelped as Griselda's arrow hit one of her guns, knocking it out of her hand.

"Nice shot!" Irina complimented.

"Good! Not let's-" A feeling of dread suddenly filled Izuku. Acting on instinct, he grabbed Irina and Koneko. "Get down!" He yelled out as he pulled them back. Just in time too.

Within a split second, a black blade ran through where they were, slicing in two both the ground and the car. The vehicle promptly exploded.

"Izuku-san/Irina!" Milia and Xenovia called out.

"What the heck was that?!" Irina exclaimed.

"*cough* *cough*"

Everyone present turned towards the source of both the black blade and the coughing. There, a young man wearing a black coat stood, slowly walking towards them.

"*cough* *cough* The polluted air here is suffocating…" the new arrival said. "Let's finish this quickly, shall we?"

"Who's that?" Koneko asked.

"Wait… I recognize him," Izuku's eyes widened in fear. "That's the Rabid Dog of the Port Mafia, Akutagawa."

"I am indeed," Akutagawa replied, his coat beginning to glow red. A black streak suddenly shot out of his coat, a demonic face charging towards them.

"Look out!" Izuku quickly pulled Koneko and Irina out of the way, just as a black streak struck the ground where they were.

"Senpai!" Higuchi called out.

"What are you two doing?" Akutagawa asked her and Raynare, the black streaks returning to his coat. "We're on a mission, we can't waste time with these children."

"They attacked us first!" Raynare argued.

Akutagawa's gaze turned toward the devils and exorcists. "Now why is that?"

"She's a fallen angel, simple as that!" Xenovia replied, pointing accusingly at Raynare.

Akutagawa scowled. "Rashomon!" A large, black shape emerged from his coat, its face vaguely resembling a demonic mix between a dog and a dragon. In a split second, the devils and exorcists braced themselves as the black beast charged at them. After about a second, the group relaxed somewhat, but gasped upon seeing a giant gash in the ground near them.

"Normally I can keep my Rashomon under control, but it has been growing rather hungry," Akutagawa warned. "If you do not stand down, then I would have no choice but have my Rashomon devour one of your limbs."

_'__What a terrifying power,'_ Griselda thought. That was when she noticed that one of them was missing… and behind Akutagawa. "Xenovia!"

With a yell, Xenovia swung the Excalibur Destruction with all her might, intent on cutting Akutagawa in two. But right as the blade was about to make contact, a barrier of some sort formed between the blade and Akutagawa, stopping the attack. The blowback forced Xenovia back several feet.

"What?" Xenovia gasped.

The back of Akutagawa's coat soon formed the demonic face of the Rashomon.

"A valiant effort, but ultimately futile," Akutagawa commented. "As I said, my Rashomon's hunger knows no bounds," the Rabid Dog turned to Xenovia. "It devours _anything_, even the space between me and your attack. No matter what weapons you may use, none can reach me."

"B-But the holy light of the Excalibur Destruction should've dispelled that beast," a disbelieving Xenovia said.

"You are mistaken, exorcist. You assumed my Rashomon is magic in origin, and thus susceptible to your holy sword. But it is actually a Quirk, as such your typical methods will not work."

**Akutagawa Ryunosuke, Quirk: Rashomon. He can turn certain articles of his clothing (mostly his coat) into an omnivorous, shadow-like black beast that can even manipulate space to an extent!**

_'__That monster is a Quirk?! How is such a thing possible?'_ Xenovia gritted her teeth.

"Unfortunately for you, exorcist," Akutagawa shot a look at Xenovia. "I keep my promises."

**ROAR!**

_*RIP!*_

Xenovia wasn't sure what happened. One second, she was standing, facing the Rabid Dog. The next, she was on the ground, blood splatters on her face, the scream of someone filling her ears.

She soon realized that it wasn't her blood or her screams, but Izuku's. In that split second, he had pushed her out of the way of Akutagawa's attack, but not unscathed. Part of Izuku's wing had been torn off.

"Izuku/Izuku-senpai!" Milia and Koneko cried out, running to the screaming Izuku's side as he tried to stop the bleeding.

"That was rather reckless, Welsh Dragon," Akutagawa commented, his Rashomon retreating back to his coat. "Had you hesitated for even a moment, you would've lost an arm at the very least. Though I must say, I'm rather surprised a devil would be so willing to save an exorcist."

Xenovia silently agreed. First, he pulled Irina out of danger, now her. What is wrong with this devil?

"How could you do something so stupid?" Koneko demanded.

"I just… acted without thinking, is all," Izuku replied through gritted teeth.

[Honorable, but also reckless,] Ddraig said. [You're lucky it was only part of the wing! You can grow that back in a week at least, but anything else won't.]

_'__I'll… try to keep that in mind.'_

"Xenovia, Zuku, you okay?" Irina said as she ran up to them, Griselda behind her as she picked up Izuku's decapitated wing.

"I'm… I'm fine," Xenovia answered. She then turned to Izuku, who was trying to stand up with Koneko's help. "Thank you," she said earnestly.

***ring ring***

The sound of Izuku's phone ringing caught everyone's attention. Quickly taking it out, Izuku saw that Tsubasa had sent him a messaged, accompanied by a GPS map location.

_Tsubasa: We found him! Get here quickly!_

* * *

**AN:**

**Okay, this chapter took longer than I expected. It's also longer than I had intended, but I guess that's fine.**

**And yes, I made Akutagawa's Rashomon a Quirk here. Think of it as like a mix between Best Jeanist and Tokoyami's Quirks.**

**And before you start yelling "But what about Dazai?!" don't worry. He has a Quirk that can counter Akutagawa's. You'll see eventually.**

**And yes, I totally stole Higuchi's Quirk from ****_Fire Force._**** Takehisa's power is so badass I just HAD to do it! Oh, and Higuchi does have a Sacred Gear, it's just she doesn't know about it yet, since her Ability in ****_Bungo Stray Dogs_**** hasn't been revealed yet.**

**Anyway, see you all next time. Until then, stay safe and stay healthy.**

**Go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!**


	29. Evil Born from God's Shadow

"Where are we?" Saji asked.

The group that consisted of Saji, Tsubasa, and Yuuto had arrived at an abandoned manor on the outskirts of the city. "Me and the others in Buchou's group fought a stray devil here not long after Izuku, Ibara and Momo joined," Yuuto explained. "There's a chance that they could be here."

They walked towards the building but stopped that instant when a chill ran through their bodies. It was killing intent, and it was aimed at them. No one made a sound, as they looked around with the greatest of caution. The only sound to be heard was the wind and the rustling of the tree's leaves.

Saji looked around, before looking upwards. That's when he saw the source of the killing intent. "Up there!" He shouted, pointing up. When they all looked up, they saw a familiar white-haired boy priest falling down with a long sword.

"YAHOOOOO!" Freed shouted in murderous glee.

Yuuto quickly summoned his demonic-sword out and blocked Freed's slash. The white-haired boy then jumped and flipped backwards, before landing on the building. "Well, what do we have here? Some maggot devils playing dress-up?"

"Freed!" Yuuto growled.

Freed blinked a couple of times before he recognized Yuuto. "Oh hey, I remember you! You're one of the Shit Dragon Emperor's pals, right? Where's the midget and that glasses-wearing blond?"

"They're not here," Yuuto replied, creating a demonic sword. "And I don't need them to beat you!"

"Oh, really?" Freed asked. "Ya know, I caught you all at a great time. I just got back from a boring night of priest hunting and I need some fun!" He laughed, brandishing his weapon before the three young devils.

Saji and Tsubasa felt chills run down their spins while Yuuto's eyes hardened at the sight of the bright holy aura the blade was producing. "That light… There's no mistaking it!"

"Oh shit!" Saji cursed, readying his Sacred Gear.

Tsubasa didn't waste any time in sending a text message to Izuku along with their location. She just hoped that he and the others get here soon.

* * *

***ring ring***

The sound of Izuku's phone ringing caught everyone's attention. Quickly taking it out, Izuku saw that Tsubasa had sent him a messaged, accompanied by a GPS map location.

_Tsubasa: We found him! Get here quickly!_

"They found Freed!" Izuku exclaimed.

This caught Raynare's attention. "What did he say?"

"You know him?" Higuchi asked.

Griselda gritted her teeth. If the other group did indeed locate Freed, then they need to hurry. But first, they needed to get away from these Mafiosi. Griselda's hand began to glow. "Cover your eyes!" She yelled, several small spheres sprouting out of the palm of her hand. The group did so, tough the devils wondered what Griselda was planning.

As were the Port Mafia. "Huh? What are-?"

_*FLOSH!*_

Higuchi's question was cut off when the spheres suddenly exploded, filling they alleyway with a blinding light.

Higuchi and Raynare screamed as they shielded their eyes, Akutagawa's Rashomon shielding his. Soon the light faded. When it did, the group was gone.

"They're gone!" Higuchi said.

"I'll get them!" Raynare was about to fly after them, but Akutagawa stopped her.

"Stop, Raynare," Akutagawa commanded. "Let them go."

"We're just letting them get away!?" Raynare hissed.

"Of course not," Akutagawa replied. "From the sounds of things, it appears that they're looking for the same prey as us. If that is the case, then it would be best to follow them for now. Eventually, they'll lead us straight to the rabbit."

* * *

At the old manor, the sounds of metal clashing against each other rang loudly. In a bright flash of sparks, both Yuuto and Freed reappeared in the middle as the collected rain poured around them, both of them trying to overpower the other with their blades. Freed cackled with his tongue hanging out as Yuuto glared with his teeth gritted.

"So you're not a little scrawny ass shitstain anymore, I see," Freed laughed. "But up against my little Excalibur…" as soon as Yuuto came down with his sword, Freed swung hard and shattered Holy Eraser to bits.

"Gah!?" Yuuto gritted his teeth.

"…Your demonic swords ain't nothing to write home about!" Freed grinned menacingly.

"Damn!" Yuuto frowned as he backed up, another Holy Eraser already forming in his hand, "I'm not done yet!"

"Already up for more, bitch?" Freed laughed, planting his sword on the ground in front of him. "Go ahead! I'll bust all the swords you throw at me!"

"Not if I can't help it! Absorption Line!" Saji pointed his gauntlet at Freed and shot his rope. Freed twisted around and swung his sword to cut the rope, but it looped around him and wrapped itself on his leg. It glowed blue right away.

"What the shit!? This stupid rope is draining my energy!" Freed exclaimed, attempting to cut the line again to no avail.

"How do you like that!?" Saji exclaimed, holding onto the line tightly. "My Sacred Gear will drain you until you're out cold!"

"I fuckin' hate dragon types!" Freed screamed, doing his best to cut the line, to no avail. "Where's an ice or fairy type when you need it!? Still, it doesn't matter in the end," he licked his blade before charging at Yuuto. "Your weapons are still no match for my holy sword!" He raised the Excalibur high above his head, his sadistic smile returning to his face. "Now…DIE!" he bellowed as he brought it down fast on top of Yuuto.

_*CHING!*_

The sword was intercepted before reaching it reached its target by a certain blue-haired Holy sword user who seemed to appear out of nowhere and blocked the potentially fatal blow mere inches from striking a downed Yuuto.

"You are a traitor to the church Freed and shall be punished accordingly," Xenovia hissed with utter contempt for the insane man before her as she continued to hold back Freed's blade before he jumped away.

"Where'd she come from!?" Saji exclaimed.

"Hey! Are you guys alright?" Milia called.

"Guys!" Yuuto was pleasantly surprised by everyone's arrival.

"We got your message, Yura-san!" Izuku greeted.

Tsubasa smiled, but then her eyes wide in shock. "Midoriya, what happened?!" Tsubasa exclaimed upon seeing Izuku's damaged wing.

"We'll explain later!" Griselda said. "Is Freed secured?"

"For now!" Saji answered. "I'll try to weaken him so you guys can finish him off!"

"I'd rather destroy the Excalibur. But as much as I hate to admit it, Saji has a point. Freed's far too dangerous," Yuuto created two different demonic swords, both charged with demonic energy.

"Hmm. Sword Birth huh?" Another person spoke up. When they all looked in the direction of the voice, there stood was an old man wearing priest clothes. He had gray hair, a mustache, black eyes, and wore glasses.

"…Is that you, old-man Valper?" Freed asked.

Yuuto's eyes widened in both recognition and rage. "Valper Galilei!"

Griselda's eyes narrowed. "That's him…" she growled.

"Freed. What are you doing?" Valper asked.

"This guy's weird lizard tongue is making it hard for me to kill these cockbites!" Freed snapped, trying to cut the Absorption Line again. "And these shitty devils teamed up with hunters from the Vatican and they're giving me a hard time!"

"Still immature in using Excalibur, I see," Valper sighed. "Just imbued your sword with the holy factor that I've granted you."

"Yeah, yeah," Freed grunted in understanding, getting some distance to focus on his sword. As the sword started to glow in brighter golden energy, Freed grinned in anticipation. "Oh, so I do it like this?" Freed cut through the Absorption Line with ease.

"I won't let you get away!" Yuuto charged at Freed, swinging both swords at the insane exorcist.

Freed easily blocked Yuuto's attack. "Sorry, Pretty Cockbite, but you'll have to do better than that!" Freed proceeded to push Yuuto back. "Now, how about I-!"

Suddenly, several black blades shot out of the ground, each aiming at Freed. Within a couple of seconds, they had skewered him… or at least the coat Freed was wearing.

Yuuto gasped. "What the-!"

"Holy FUCK! That was close!" Freed breathed heavily, landing on the roof not far from Valper, sporting a couple of scratches and torn clothing. "Who nearly ruined my perfect face?!"

"If you ask me, it would've been an improvement!"

Izuku shivered at hearing the voice. Turning, he and the others saw Akutagawa, his Rashomon still embedded into the ground, Higuchi and the source of the voice, Raynare.

"What the- They followed us?!" Irina gasped.

"Oh hey! It's my old boss!" Freed laughed. "How've you been? I heard you became someone's dog. Kinda disappointed that you're fully dressed and not begging on your knees."

Raynare's eye twitched.

"Tell me… Are you the ones who stole the Excaliburs?" Akutagawa asked.

"Uh, duh!" Freed mocked. "What's it to you?"

"Rashomon: Murakumo!"

Freed's eyes went wide as Akutagawa's coat created a giant clawed hand, which was currently heading straight for him. He jumped out of the way right as the clawed hand hit. It easily tore through the manor's structure before retreating back to Akutagawa's coat.

"Who the hell are they!?" Saji exclaimed pointing at the three Port Mafiosi. "And why are they so scary!?"

"They're with the Port Mafia," Izuku answered. "And the black-haired woman is a fallen angel."

"What?!" Saji started the shed tears of fear. "Why are they here?!"

"We'll explain later! Focus on the heretic!" Griselda yelled.

"Fuck and piss!" Freed shouted as he found himself bombarded by blades from Xenovia, Irina, and Yuuto. Even with the Absorption Line wrapped around his leg, Freed didn't have much of a problem fighting them off.

**ROAR!**

That is until he saw a giant black maw rushing toward him. Freed jumped into the air to avoid the attack, which nearly hit the two exorcists and Yuuto. Freed would've laughed at them had two more black streaks attacked him. Freed managed to deflect one with his Excalibur but had to use the blade to block the other one.

"FUUUUUUCK!" Freed cried as Rashomon's tendril smashed him into a wall.

Freed growled as he got on his hands and knees, holding his stomach with one arm. He glared up at Akutagawa in fury. "You fucker!" Milia, Koneko, Saji, Tsubasa, Xenovia, and Irina surrounded the two excommunicated priests, not allowing them a chance to escape.

Freed stood up again, getting ready to fight. "You're done," Valper told him, puzzling the boy priest. The old man looked at him with a smile. "All you have to do was get rid of the vermin from the Church. Easy." Valper looked at the odd group before them. "But you're outnumbered, and I wasn't planning on them working with devils or for the infamous Port Mafia showing up. Time to pull back."

"Fine!" Freed huffed but obeyed nonetheless, pulling out a small ball. "That's all folks! SEE YA!" He threw it down, which turned out to be a flashbang.

When then the ball hit the ground, it caused a large bright light that covered the whole area and blinded everyone's eyes. By the time they regained their sight, Freed and Valper were gone.

"Damn it! After them!" Griselda cursed. "They couldn't have gotten far!"

"Right!" Xenovia and Irina said as they followed the older exorcists.

"I'm going to find Valper!" Yuuto decided, jumping over another building.

"Wait, Yuuto-san!" Izuku called out, but Yuuto ignored him as he ran after the exorcists.

The three Port Mafia members silently followed, ignoring the remaining devils for the most part, but Raynare spared them a glance before following.

"We totally lost Kiba, didn't we?" Saji asked.

"The exorcists are gone too," Koneko added.

"And the Port Mafia's in the city also," Tsubasa said. "This just got more complicated than needed."

"What do we do now, Midoriya-kun?" Milia asked.

Izuku opened his mouth to answer… and quickly froze as he felt a foreboding presence behind him. From the way the others reacted, they felt it too.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

"Izuku, Koneko… what are you doing here?"

"Saji, Tsubasa, please explain…"

Their masters had arrived.

* * *

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" Ravel exclaimed. The second Rias saw Izuku's wing, she had Ravel come as quickly as she could with a Phenex Tear. "How exactly were you going to explain this, huh?!"

Izuku only hung his head low as Ravel dripped the Phenex Tears on where his wing had been ripped off.

Once the area began to glow pink, Ravel gently placed the decapitated wing back where it belonged. Within a second Izuku's wing was whole again, but the area where it was severed had a long scare along where it happened, and the membrane of the wing had tiny holes.

"It didn't heal fully?" Koneko asked.

"I was afraid of this," Ravel explained. "If the Phenex Tears were applied right away there wouldn't be any problems, but because this happened several minutes ago, it wasn't able to heal properly."

"Still, to do something like attempt to destroy Excalibur behind my back…" Rias shook her head in disappointment. "And to top it off, Raynare's back and the Port Mafia are in the city. And now Yuuto's missing. Do you have any idea where he's at?"

"He went looking Freed, along with the three exorcists," Izuku replied. "The Port Mafia followed."

"Why in the world would you do this?" Rias asked.

"I just wanted to help," Izuku answered.

"And what about you, Koneko?" Rias continued, looking over at the girl in question. "Why did you agreed to this?"

"…I just didn't want to lose Yuuto-senpai," Koneko admitted meekly.

A downcast look appeared over Rias' face, fully understanding where she was coming from. "Well, there's nothing we can do about it now," she said, kneeling down before them. "But there could have been very serious consequences if anything went wrong."

"We're… sorry, Buchou," both Izuku and Koneko apologize as they hung their heads.

"I'm sorry Kaichou…" Saji's face became so blue that it was dangerous. He was truly scared.

"I'm sorry, too," Tsubasa said, more accepting of her punishment.

"I'm so sorry," Milia said.

**SLAP!**

The sound caused Izuku to look at the direction it came from.

Saji was on his hands and knees, getting his butt spanked by Sona, while Tsubasa stood next to them, looking a little scared. However, Sona's hand was going off a blue glow. "Looks like you need to reflect upon your actions," the young bespectacled woman said, before spanking her Pawn's ass again.

"Uwaaaaaaan!" Saji cried out in agony. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please forgive me!"

"Not yet. Not until both you and Tsubasa have received 1000 spankings."

All color began to drain from Tsubasa at Sona's statement.

"Well now, what to do with you," Kudelia hummed in thought. "Should I follow Sona's example? Or…" she smiled devilishly. "Should I do _that_?"

Milia's jaw dropped. "Nono! Not that! Anything but _THAT_!"

"Spankings it is~!"

**SLAP! SLAP!**

"Kyaaah!"

Izuku flinched with each spank that echoed in the building. By the looks of it, it seemed quite painful.

"Hey," he heard, feeling his cheek getting pulled by Rias, who gave him an annoyed glare. "Don't look away from me."

"Zarry!" Izuku apologized.

Rias let his cheek go with a sigh. "But seriously, though," a smile appeared on her face. "You both really are troublesome. Making me worry like that." She pulled both Izuku and Koneko into a hug, pressing their heads against her bosom, "I've already sent devils from my Household to find Yuuto. Once he's located, we can retrieve him."

"Y… yeah," Izuku blushed, entranced from the softness of her breasts.

"Hai… Buchou," Koneko smiled softly.

Ravel silently stood by fuming.

"You have got to be kidding me! Why are they getting off so lightly?! OW!" Saji whined over his punishment.

"Rias has her ways, and I have mine," Sona replied coldly. "Only 980 more to go. Then we move onto Tsubasa."

**SLAP!**

Izuku couldn't help but feel lost in the warmth and softness of his master.

"OK, Izuku, Koneko. Stick out your butts," he heard her suddenly say.

"Huh?" Izuku blinked as he and Koneko backed away. The mood in the atmosphere had suddenly become… unpleasant. "But… I thought…"

"It's still the duty of the master to discipline her servants," Rias said as her hand glowed in a red aura, a dangerously sadistic smile on her face, "That'll be one thousand spanks for both of you! Oh, and since all this was your idea, Izuku, you get an additional thousand spanks."

"Two thousand spanks?!" Izuku gulped.

That day, Midoriya Izuku's ass died.

* * *

Irina, Xenovia, and Griselda hurried after the stray exorcist and priest. They had lost sight of both Yuuto and the Port Mafia. Their search soon led them to the front gate of a park. A really, _big_ park.

Before them, there was a small parking lot, an even smaller restroom building, a picnic bench, a moderately impressive sign, and then a forest. Though the word didn't do it justice. Endoru Forest Park had been an industrial park about forty years ago.

A group of ecoterrorist villains decided to destroy all traces of industry. While the heroes at the time managed to stop them, the buildings were all damaged beyond repair. In the end, another group bought the land, removed all traces of industry, and brought in people with plant Quirks and similar abilities, turning the park into the recreational area it is today.

The park itself looked as if a section of the old California Redwood Forest had been transplanted to Japan. And it was unspoiled, cleaner than almost any other Japanese park. Though given its history and who managed it, Endoru did not get a lot of visitors, and the ones who did were more respectful than average.

In short, it was the perfect place to hide. Almost eighty square kilometers of woods where anyone can hide without notice. "You think they ran in here?" Irina asked, breathing heavily from all the running.

"This is where they were heading, and I saw Kiba run in," said Xenovia. "They have to be here."

"Stay close," Griselda went into the forest, Xenovia and Irina close behind. They walked through the woods for what felt like hours, each tree they came upon looking the exact same as the one they passed.

Eventually, the three exorcists stopped. "Where are we?" Irina asked.

Xenovia looked at their surroundings, noting a small hill to their north and a creek next to the trail they're on. "Everything here looks the same. If it wasn't for this trial we would be lost by now."

"Hold on," Griselda sniffed the air. "Do you smell that?"

Sure enough, a faint stench was being carried by the wind. It would be unnoticeable to anyone else if they kept going. "What is that?" Xenovia asked.

Griselda, however, narrowed her eyes when she realized what that stench was. She had smelled it before, usually when she was assigned to kill a stray devil: rotting flesh.

"Stay behind me," she ordered. The two girls nodded as they followed Griselda, following the stench off the trail. Soon they came across a cave, far off from the trail. The overwhelming stench was coming from here.

"Ugh! What _is_ that?!" Irina gagged. "Does this have to do with Freed or Valper?"

"I don't know," Griselda readied an arrow. "Stay here."

Xenovia watched as her guardian move closer until she was in the cave. She didn't like the idea of being left behind like this, but she trusted Griselda. So, with reluctance, she stayed behind with Irina and watched as Griselda entered the cave.

The two young exorcists waited for their superior, holding their breath. Eventually, Griselda stepped back out, but something was wrong. The elder exorcist actually stumbled out of the cave, almost in a daze. "Griselda?" Xenovia and Irina ran towards her in concern. It was obvious that Griselda wasn't hurt, and no sound came from the cave indicating a struggle. So then why does she look so… terrified?

"Miss Griselda?"

"Griselda!" Irina and Xenovia's calls brought her back to reality. "Griselda, are you okay? What happened?"

Griselda's eyes, once the shock was gone, were filled with rage. "I know who's been hiding out in this cave," she grimaced. "You two keep going after Freed and Valper. Don't wait up for me."

"What? Why?" Xenovia questioned, having never seen Griselda like this before.

"Miss Griselda, if something is bothering you, maybe we can help," Irina offered.

"No, you can't! Not against _her,_" Griselda hissed.

"…Her?" Xenovia repeated.

"Just go!" Griselda told them before glaring into the forest. "This is something I gotta do," Griselda ran further into the forest, following some sort of trail.

Xenovia scowled as she and Irina watch Griselda disappear into the woods. She had an idea of who this 'her' is. But that didn't give Griselda the right to ignore both her and Irina.

"Xenovia, what do we do?" Irina asked.

Xenovia looked back at the trail, then looked to where Griselda had gone. A part of her knew that the mission to retrieve the Excaliburs came first, but an equal part of her wanted to help Griselda. Then she remembered how the Red Dragon Emperor helped her earlier, saying that he acted without thinking. With a determined look, Xenovia began to go after Griselda. "Come on."

Irina nodded, following Xenovia into the forest.

* * *

Griselda followed the trail as fast as she could. She knew that she had to do this by herself. A part of her did feel bad leaving Xenovia and Irina behind like that, and she knew that they weren't helpless. Xenovia and Irina were strong, but they were still inexperienced. No match against someone like _her_.

Speaking of, her tracks were still fresh. She couldn't be far. Griselda's target was definitely somewhere within these woods, no question. If she doesn't know that Griselda was here to, maybe it would be her chance to get the drop on her. The hunter would become the hunted.

As Griselda walked, she heard a strange sound and turned to look in shock, almost horror, at the sight of a tree being melted away by some form of acidic substance. The sight made her recall events she'd rather forget.

* * *

**THIRTEEN YEARS AGO**

_The village was practically destroyed. There was nothing left of it but the foundations and a few still standing walls. But an 18-year-old Griselda kept calm and confident as she ran by, contacting her fellow exorcists._

_"__Griselda here. Can anyone hear me?"_

"{Griselda, you lost again? Your sense of direction could use some improvement.}" _Her friend and mentor teased over the radio._

_"__So does your aim, Christos." Griselda teased back. "If you had taken care of those fallen angels back at the mine, I wouldn't have to break rank and engage the enemy hand-to-hand."_

"{From the sound of things, I'm guessing you ran into some trouble?}"

_"__Nothing I couldn't handle. Try waiting up this time and I'll give you the play-by-play." Griselda responded as she took cover behind a wall. "What's your position?"_

"{About half a klick north of the village, near a grotto,}" _Christos responded. _"{Think you can find it, sister?}"

_"__Trust me, Christos. My navigation skills are…" Griselda didn't get a chance to finish as she was suddenly pinned to a nearby wall by some form of web-like substance. She struggled but couldn't stop another patch of the same stuff from being shot to cover her face._

_…_

_The next thing she knew, she was strung up by her arms via some webbing with her ankles webbed together. She struggled in her bonds, but they wouldn't budge._

_And she wasn't alone. There was a woman as well; a spider-like woman. She walked around her captive, almost as if she was toying with her._

_"__Piece of advice, make yourself comfortable." Griselda's captor told her. "You're going to be here a while." She slowly traced her finger along Griselda's cheek, leaving a burn mark._

* * *

Not far away, the very same spider-woman that Izuku and the others faced several nights ago stalked the forest. Silently, she approached a small campsite, the light from it's dying fire still visible even from over 15 meters away, thanks to her enhanced eyesight. She could tell that whoever was at the camp was asleep. She didn't know who they were or why they decided to camp here. What mattered to her was that they were prey.

She inched closer to the camp, her spider legs carrying her over the forest floor without making a single sound. She knew that Kokabiel won't be happy she left her post, but she didn't care. The only reason she was even working with such an egocentric warmonger was because it gave her the chance to butcher and kill whoever she liked, assuming his war even starts. Either way, she needed to pass the time, and this was the perfect way to do so.

The closer she got, the more her bloodlust intensified. She could already feel it: the sensation of blood spilling over the ground as she gutted her prey, the feeling of the skin being removed from the body, the soothing sounds of the agonizing screams of terror, the look of hopelessness in their eyes as their life ends.

A small figure exited the tent. It was a little girl, no older than five. Lailah could no longer contain herself, ready to just rush forward and-

_*CRASH!*_

Something hit her in the side, knocking Lailah and whatever hit her over as they tumbled down a hillside, far away from the unsuspecting camp. They tumbled further onto they came to a stop on flat ground. Lailah quickly smoked whatever hit her off, which smacked against a nearby cliffside.

Getting up with her spider-legs, the woman saw who it was that attacked her. "Griselda!" She greeted in mild surprise. "Small world."

"_Too _small, Lailah!"

"You're still holding a grudge?" Lailah teased. "The Second European War has been over for years now."

"That still doesn't excuse what you did! Or _have_ done!" Griselda stated, readying her bow. She remembered what she found in that cave: bodies of humans and other beings, all in various states of preservation. "I happened to find your souvenirs."

"You mean my trophies?" Lailah replied. "I collect unique and odd specimens. Be it humans, yokai, monsters, or something else. I came close to collecting the head of a witch a few nights ago, along with her devil friends, but they got away. Maybe I can add an exorcist's head to compensate?"

"Not gonna happen!"

Griselda notched an arrow and fired. Lailah smirked as she simply dodged to the side, but that smirk disappeared when she saw Griselda was right on her. She tackled Lailah to the ground and was about to stab her with an arrow, but Lailah was able to push Griselda off with her spider-legs.

Griselda growled as she fired several arrows at Lailah, but the spider-woman avoided all them and leapt in-between a pair of trees, her spider-legs keeping her in the air. But that didn't last.

Lailah gasped in shock when an arrow flew around her, draping her in some kind of wire. Looking down, she saw that the wire led directly to Griselda, who preceded to pull the spider-woman out of the tree. Lailah crashed hard on the ground, leaving her disorientated. Once she was on the ground, Griselda ran toward her hated enemy, her bow straightening into a staff.

With her bow as a bo staff, Griselda swung it, blocking and pushing back Lailah's spider-legs. After a few strikes, Lailah managed to block and hold onto the staff, but Griselda silly jumped up and delivered a hard kick, sending her back. She then jumped into the air, slamming hard down onto Lailah, pinning her. Taking the chance, Griselda grabbed and arrow, ready to stab Lailah right between the eyes.

However, right when she was about to finish Lailah off, they both heard the sound of rocks sliding as they looked back. There Xenovia and Irina were sliding down the hillside. Griselda gasped at the sight of them being here. Why were they here!? Why now?!

Lailah used this direction to lash one of her spider-legs at Griselda, knocking her back before getting up and shooting more webbing, pinning Griselda to the wall.

"Griselda!" Xenovia yelled, she and Irina about to run and help. Lailah turned to see the girls and gave a joyous yet sadistic hiss. Griselda used this brief distraction as she managed to free her arm, grab an arrow from her quiver, and threw it at Lailah.

Lailah caught it with ease, looking rather smug. She failed to notice the arrowhead open up and beep before it exploded, blasting the spider woman away.

Xenovia and Irina ran pass the downed Lailah to help Griselda. "I thought I told you to go after Freed and Valper!" She exclaimed.

"We couldn't just leave you!" Irina shot back.

"Yeah, especially if you were going to fight something like _that_!" Xenovia exclaimed as she and Irina tried to pry the webbing off Griselda.

"Just get out of here, I can handle it! If you stay you'll just become liabilities!" Griselda said.

"I don't believe you!" Xenovia stated. "I can see it in your eyes, Griselda. You're afraid," Griselda's look softened as Xenovia continued. "I've known you for years and you're never afraid. I don't know what that… monster did to make you so scared, but we're not gonna sit back and watch you fight this thing alone! That's not what friends do!"

At that particular comment, Griselda's worst horrible memory came back to her.

* * *

_How long had she been here, being tortured by her sadistic and cruel captor? Hours? Days? It was all a blur. She had endured so much, yet Griselda didn't say a single word, other than the occasional curse or voice of defiance._

_Lailah ac__tually seemed impressed by her prisoner's tenacity. "You know, for a human, your reliance is quite impressive. I even told you the truth about God and me, and you still hold on." Griselda offered no response. "In fact, I'm guessing that no matter what I do to you, you'll never crack. Am I right?"_

_Griselda glared at her captor._

_"__That's what I thought." Lailah actually smiled at that before snapping her fingers. A pair of what Griselda assumed to be stray exorcists entered the room, dragging in a badly beaten man._

_Griselda's look of defiance quickly gave way to shock. She recognized who it was. "Chr…Christos?"_

_Christos groaned as the stray exorcists dragged him next to Griselda and strung him up by his arms with Lailah's webs._

_"__What have you done to him?!" Griselda demanded._

_"__Not much, _yet_…" Lailah warned. "Just tell me what I want to know, or… well, you're a smart girl. I think you can imagine what happens to Christos next."_

_"__I don't know where the Excaliburs are," Griselda stated. Lailah frowned in response as she stepped closer to Christos. "I swear by the names of God, Jesus, and Mary that it's the truth!"_

_"__We'll see~!" Lailah sang mockingly as she stopped in front of Christos, one of her spider-legs reeling back._

_"__No! Please!" Griselda begged. But it fell on deaf ears._

_Lailah gave a sadistic hiss before butchering Christos, right in front of Griselda's eyes._

_"__CHRISTOS!"_

* * *

Griselda's expression was one of absolute fear, not just from that horrible memory she'd never be able to forget, but the strong possibility of it repeating here and now.

"You're right Xenovia! I _am_ afraid! Of losing you!"

That caught the two girls by surprise, Xenovia especially as she looked at her guardian in shock.

"You sure have trouble hanging onto those close to you, don't you?" Lailah taunted as she got back up. "We both know what happened to Christos, but I can't imagine how many more partners or friends you lost both during the war and the years since then, either at the hands of fallen angels and devils or because they became strays. At some point you really have to ask yourself Griselda; is it them? Or is it me?"

"Xenovia, Irina! You need to get out of here!" Griselda told them, "Just go! RUN!"

Lailah fired more webbing at Griselda, trapping her even more onto the wall. So, with great reluctance, Irina took hold of Xenovia's hand and ran as fast as she could.

"Irina! Let me go!" Xenovia protested as she was dragged away.

Lailah chuckled as she walked ever-so-close to Griselda. "And that's why I prefer to work alone," she jammed one of her spider-legs into the wall close to Griselda's face as she slowly danced around her. "It's so sad when bad things happen to those closest to you," she trailed her finger under Griselda's chin as she crawled around her, hanging upside down as she continued to taunt her. "But don't worry, I fully intend to end your life. And I promise I will make it _hurt_. But…" Griselda's eyes widen in fear at the drawn-out 'but' as Griselda turned to look at the girls, "…That won't _compare_ to the pain you'll feel knowing I'm adding your little 'Xenovia' and her friend to my collection."

Xenovia looked back at Griselda as she and Irina ran up the hillside. She desperately wanted to stay and help her, but Irina wouldn't let her as she continued to drag Xenovia away from Griselda and Lailah. All she could do right now was glare at the monster before running into the woods.

Lailah chuckled darkly to herself as she jumped off the wall and followed the girls.

Griselda could only watch and scream in terror, powerless as Lailah began her hunt.

* * *

The moon shined brightly over Endoru Forest Park, giving the forest an eerie feel as Irina continued to lead Xenovia away from Lailah and Griselda. "Let me go already!" Xenovia continued to protest. "How can you just leave Griselda behind like that?!"

"I'm not!" Irina snapped, stopping and turning to look directly at Xenovia. "You saw that thing. This isn't some stray devil! We need an actual plan to take her down."

Xenovia was taken aback by her partner's response. But now that she had a moment to cool down, she saw that Irina was right. They won't be able to beat someone like Lailah without any sort of plan.

"That's the spirit girls! Play hard to get." They heard Lailah tease.

Xenovia glared at the direction Lailah was, wanting nothing more to wipe that smug look off her face. "What do you have in mind?"

Lailah continued to stalk and follow after the two. While she did lose sight of the young exorcists, their trail was relatively easy to follow so she had a good idea where to find her.

"You can't hide from me forever!" Lailah called out to her 'prey'.

"Wasn't planning on it!"

Suddenly, Irina jumped out from being a tree, Excalibur Mimic in hand as she charged at Lailah. The spider-woman merely chuckled in amusement as she easily avoided the oncoming attack. What she failed to realize, though, was that Irina was the distraction as Xenovia came from the other side, swinging her Excalibur Destruction downward with all her might.

Lailah noticed this, but it was already too late. All she could do was attempt to avoid the blade. Once the blade hit the ground, it created enough destructive force to send Lailah skidding hard along the ground.

Irina then attempted to finish Lailah off, but the spider-woman was able to jump back before the girl could reach her. "Well now…" Lailah gave an amused smile. "This hunt might be more interesting than I thought." Lailah jumped upward, disappearing into the trees.

As Xenovia and Irina looked around, they couldn't find Lailah as she continued to speak. "Xenovia, right? I can see why Griselda likes you, you remind me so much of how she used to be. Such confidence, such determination in your eyes. Seeing how you two seem so close, did she ever tell you about me?"

"You're a monster who's killed innocent people, that's all we need to know!" Xenovia replied, the Excalibur Destruction at the ready.

Irina backed into Xenovia and asked, "Do you know her Xenovia?"

"I've… only heard a few things about her," Xenovia admitted.

"So Griselda _did_ talk about me?" They heard Lailah giggle. "Did she ever tell you about Christos?" Lailah asked, still hiding in the trees. "During the Second European War, Griselda was brought to me for interrogation. But unlike most others I had the pleasure of dismembering, she kept her mouth shut, no matter what I did to her. You really can't help but admire that kind of resolve. But then I realized her true weakness, the same weakness most other humans have: they care about their friends."

Xenovia and Irina stopped moving for a second as Lailah continued to speak.

"Griselda's teacher, Christos, was brought to me." She continued. "That's when her resolve began to break. She even begged me to stop, but I didn't as I tore poor Christos apart, piece by slow, agonizing piece."

Xenovia's grip on her Excalibur tightened, gnashing her teeth. Irina gasped in shock, having a hard time believing that such a being could be so cruel.

Lailah, seeing this from her position above them, smirked. Firing her webbing from her hands, Lailah quickly caught Irina before trapping the chestnut-hair girl against a tree. "Irina!"

Hissing, Lailah lunged at Xenovia. The girl tried to use her Excalibur to block the spider-woman's attacks, but the spider-woman's extra limbs made that difficult, forcing Xenovia back.

"Xenovia!" Irina cried out as Lailah pushed her partner back. She needed to get free and help. Irina took several deep breaths. "Relax. Relax…" slowly, she began to wriggle out of the webbing.

Xenovia skid across the forest floor, parts of her uniform torn as she stood back up, gladly hatefully at Lailah. "You're making this too easy, Xenovia," Lailah told the young exorcist. "And I do not enjoy being bored."

Xenovia mealy readied her Excalibur in response.

Lailah hummed in thought, wonder just how to make this hunt funner when an idea crossed her mind. "What was your friend's name? 'Irina'? You two seem to really care for each other," Lailah noted. Xenovia's eyes widened slightly, which was all the answers Lailah needed. "You care for her, don't you? Good news then. I won't kill you. Instead, I'll keep you alive long enough for you to watch… As I slowly slice her to pieces." She lulled.

Xenovia's eyes widened as her pupils seared with anger. With an enraged yell, Xenovia swung her Excalibur down, shattering the ground beneath Lailah, knocking the spider-woman off her baleen.

"Don't you dare lay a finger on her, you bitch!" Xenovia roared, wieldy swinging her Excalibur at Lailah. "I won't let you harm her, Griselda, or anyone else! DO YOU HEAR?!"

Unfortunately, Xenovia had been so focused on Lailah, she failed to notice her spider-like legs as they quickly shot from her and blocked her swing.

_*Thwip!*_

Xenovia's eyes widened in shock as Lailah preceded to webbed the Excalibur and tear it out of her grip. Xenovia backed away and then noticed that her hands had been webbed as well.

The Excalibur Destruction had been webbed to a nearby tree. Xenovia's eyes widened as she tried to free her hands to no avail. "Another thing you and Griselda seem to have in common," Lailah gave a triumphant smirk. "You let your emotions get the better of you," she shot more webbing, pinning Xenovia's feet to the ground.

Xenovia's eyes were filled with fear as Lailah leaned over her. "Now then, how should we begin?" Lailah purred, placing a hand under Xenovia's chin. "Should we start with agonizing? Or excruciating?"

"How about neither!"

Lailah turned just in time to see Irina deliver a hard kick to her side, knocking the spider-woman away from her partner. Then, using her Excalibur Mimic, Irina cut the webbing binding Xenovia. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Xenovia nodded, rubbing her wrists. "I sometimes envy your Quirk, Irina."

The chestnut-haired girl smiled, lifting her leg up until her foot was next to her head. "Yeah, well, having a Quirk that makes you more flexible than the average person does have its uses."

"It's a rare feat to catch me off guard like that," Lailah commented as she got up.

Irina quickly cut the webbing binding of the Excalibur Destruction, freeing it as Xenovia quickly took hold of the blade. "Xenovia," Irina whispered. "Remember when we fought that giant Tatzelwurm in Germany?"

Xenovia nodded, knowing what she had in mind. Irina ran toward the spider-woman.

"Please, like that trick will work again," Lailah tried to shoot Irina with webbing, but the girl rolled out of the way before swinging her Excalibur, the blade elongated and curving around Lailah. Before long the Excalibur Mimic had wrapped itself around Lailah.

"Not so fun now, huh?" Irina mocked, earning a glare from the spider-woman. "Xenovia, now!"

Lailah gasped as she looked to Xenovia. The blue-haired exorcist stood still, concentrating on her blade as it glowed brightly with a holy aura.

With a yell, Xenovia swung the glowing Excalibur Destruction at Lailah, Irina jumping away to avoid the hit, carving a path of destruction several feet long. Once the light had died down and the dust settled, Xenovia and Irina looked to where Lailah was. A large gash was in the ground, and several trees had been knocked over, but there was no sign of her.

"Did we get her?" Xenovia asked, Irina's Excalibur returning to its katana form.

"Not quite."

Irina and Xenovia looked upward… and gapped in shock.

There, up in the air was Lailah. But she wasn't being suspended by webbing or her spider legs. She was being kept in the air by four, gray wings. Above her head was, unmistakably, a halo.

"You're… an angel?!"

* * *

Back with Griselda, she struggled as much as she could to escape the webbing, but no matter how hard she struggled, it wouldn't budge. She had to get out of here quick! Xenovia and Irina were capable fighters, but they had no idea what Lailah was capable of. Or what she really was, for that matter. It was only a matter of time before that butcher cornered them and… just like Christos… Griselda screamed in emotional agony as another memory resurfaced.

* * *

_Griselda's face had given way to despair, the body of Christos reduced to nothing more than literal pieces. And Lailah smiled the entire time._

_Griselda didn't react as, slowly, Lailah inched one of her clawed-legs close to her face. The intent was clear. There was no way to avoid this. There was nothing she could do._

_However, just as she seemed to accept her imminent demise, the door was blown off its hinges. Lailah growled in frustration before making her escape as Ewald Cristaldi, followed by Vasco Strada, barged in, making short work of the stray exorcists._

_"__Griselda!" Ewald ran to the girl's side. "Griselda, hey! Are you okay?"_

_She didn't respond._

_"__Ewald."_

_Ewald turned to Vasco… and nearly gagged at what remained of Christos._

_The Cardinal Priest moved to Griselda's side and tore off the webbing binding her. "Let's go."_

_He gently carried Griselda out of the facility, all the while she began to mutter, "I couldn't save him… I couldn't save him…"_

* * *

Griselda stopped struggling, the full weight of her situation finally settling in. Tears began to build up in her eyes before spilling over, forming long streaks down her face. "Xenovia… Irina… I'm so sorry…" she wept. She regretted not getting more exorcists to come. Regretted letting Irina and Xenovia come to Japan to begin with. Regretted… everything.

As she continued to sob, a black feather floated down in front of her.

* * *

"You're… an angel?!" Irina gasped.

Lailah's wings quickly retreated and her halo disappeared as she landed in the treetops before vanishing from sight. Xenovia and Irina were still processing what they saw to respond right away until Lailah spoke.

"What's the matter? No utterance of God or of the Messiah? I'm hurt," Lailah mockingly said, her voice sounding as if it were coming from everywhere around them.

Xenovia quickly shook off her stupor and readied her Excalibur, followed by Irina. "I don't understand… How can someone like you be-?"

"An angel?" Lailah finished Xenovia's question. "Simple: God made me like this."

"Wha… What do you mean?" Irina demanded.

"During the Great War, God gave me the duty to interrogate captured enemies," Lailah explained. "It was my duty to get any intel from prisoners by any means necessary. Simply put, I was His chief torturer. Whenever prisoners had valuable information, they were brought to me, and I made sure to squeeze every last drop of intel out of them."

"But… But that's…" Irina stuttered.

"You're lying," Xenovia hissed. "The devils and fallen angels would have something like you, but never God!"

"Oh, are you _that_ naive?" Lailah chuckled. "Do you honestly think the Great War between the Three Factions was as black and white Sunday school said it was? Do either of you even know why the war started in the first place?"

Xenovia and Irina weren't able to answer.

"It's because God attacked first, believing that the devils would attempt to usurp him," Lailah answered. "While the original Four Satans probably wanted Him dead, I'm sure none of them were interested in starting a war. And the fallen angels only fought to ensure their own survival, since they were abandoned by God after making love with humans. Honestly, I sometimes wondered why humans still even worship God, especially after everything that was done in His name."

"What do you mean?" Irina questioned.

"Does the 'Holy Sword Project' ring any bells?" Lailah asked them. "When it was deemed a failure they just killed the children off."

"No. That was Valper Galilei's doing!" Xenovia yelled.

"But it was approved and funded by the Church's higher-ups," Lailah pointed out. "And that project was far from the only terrible tragedy in history done in the name of God." They heard Lailah scoffed. "The so-called People's Crusade, the persecution of the Gypsies when their mystic talents competed with the necessity for literate priests, the oftentimes violent conversion of the Americas, just to name a few."

Irina covered her ears, shaking her head in denial. "Stop. Stop it!"

"Irina! Don't let her get to you!" Xenovia told her.

"And let's not forget how the Church and Christianity isn't even the original religion that worshiped God," Lailah continued. "Judaism came first, followed by Christianity and then Islam. And yet the Church is the one will all the power. Well, _had_ all the power. I can only imagine how devastating it was when Quirks began appearing. A huge loss in faith like that could've collapsed the Church altogether. It's a miracle that religion in general is still around. Not that I'm complaining, since I love my Quirk."

That caught the girls' attention. "If… If you're really an angel, then why do you have Quirk?" Xenovia asked.

"Why should I bother answering? Especially since you both won't have long to live."

_*Thwip!*_

Xenovia gasped and screamed when webbing suddenly hit her from behind and pulled her away, binding her to a nearby tree.

"Xenovia!"

Before she could aid her friend, more webbing suddenly struck the Excalibur Mimic and pulled it away, sending it far from its wielder. More webbing then pulled Irina up into the treetops, where Lailah was waiting. Before she could even scream, Lailah, using her spider-legs, wrapped webbing around Irina.

Once Lailah was done, Irina was cocooned by the webbing. "Try to get out of that," Lailah said to her. Irina's only response was a muffled scream as she struggled to get free.

Lailah laughed at Irina's attempt before she turned her attention to Xenovia. "Now then, where were we?" Lailah climbed down, dropped Irina, and marched her way to Xenovia, who tried desperately to free herself from the web, but the sadistic angel was already on top of her. Lailah smiled evilly as she felt her fingers along Xenovia's face. She was going to enjoy every single second of this.

Xenovia was about to scream in terror when several small spears of light suddenly floated down around Lailah, stopping the spider-angel as she stared at them curiously. Xenovia, recognizing the spheres, shut her eyes as tightly as she could.

_*FLOSH!*_

The spheres suddenly exploded, the resulting light being so bright it completely illuminated the part of the forest they were in for a brief moment. Lailah screamed in agony as she covered her eyes, the light having blinded her.

With a yell, Griselda took this chance as delivered a swift palm-strike right to Lailah's face, necking her back. Still blind from earlier, Lailah attempted to attack, but Griselda delivered several strong punches which sent the spider angel back several feet. With Lailah disposed of, for now, Griselda rushed over to her ward and Irina. "Xenovia! Irina! Are you okay?!" She pried the webbing off to free them.

"Yeah… yeah, I'm fine." Xenovia said in-between breaths, all the fear from before gone now. Once freed, Xenovia aided Griselda in freeing Irina, which took a bit more time as they freed her from the cocoon.

Irina briefly gagged for air once they freed her, but otherwise, she was fine.

Griselda quickly embraced the two young exorcists, who returned it. "…Thank you." The two girls said.

Their embrace quickly ended as the loud sound of drilling came from behind. They both quickly turned to see Lailah's spider-like legs pointed-downward as her body spun rapidly like a drill. She was quickly burrowing underground to escape. Griselda reached for her quiver to try and shoot her, only to remember she ran out of arrows. Even if she had some, it was already too late. Lailah was already gone.

"Lailah!" Griselda growled, cursing her hated enemy. The green-haired exorcist gave a deep and regretful sigh. "So much for closure."

"She won't get away for long." Xenovia said.

"Yeah," Irina nodded. "We'll get that monster eventually."

Griselda smiled at the two girls before a downcast look appeared on her face. "I… I'm sorry you two had to face my demons today," she said honestly.

"…It was terrifying, worrying about you," Xenovia smiled.

"How'd you get free?" Irina asked.

"Raynare freed me," Griselda answered.

Irina and Xenovia's eyes widened in surprise at hearing this. "Raynare?! That fallen angel?" Irina gasped.

Griselda nodded.

* * *

_Griselda looked up when she heard something land in front of her. There she saw Raynare, a spear of light in hand. Without saying a word, Raynare cut through the webbing binding Griselda to the cliff wall and took off. Griselda watched her go in surprise before she ran after Lailah._

* * *

"She just cut me free and took off without a word," Griselda recounted.

"Why in the world would she do that?" Irina asked.

"I don't know," Griselda admitted. "Whatever her reason, it doesn't matter. What matters is that we get out of here. Because of me we lost both Valper and Freed. There's no telling where they could be. Do you both still have your Excaliburs?"

"Xenovia does, but Lailah tossed mine somewhere over there," Irina pointed to where Lailah threw the Excalibur Mimic.

"Let's get it and get out of here," Xenovia stood up and started walking, followed by Griselda and Irina.

It didn't take long for them to where it looked like the Excalibur Mimic landed, but there was no sign of it. "It should've landed somewhere here," Irina muttered.

"You mean this?" A familiar, demented voice asked.

Looking up, the three female exorcists saw Freed standing on a small hill, wielding the Excalibur Mimic.

"Freed!" Griselda hissed.

"That's my name, don't wear it out!"

Irina's eyes widened when she saw that Freed had her Excalibur. "Give that back!"

"Sorry, but finders keepers!" Freed laughed, pulling out and using a flashbang again.

The three exorcists shielded their eyes from the intense light. Once the light faded, Freed was gone.

"Damnit!" Griselda hissed. Now the enemy has four Excaliburs, all because of her recklessness. "Do you still have your other sword, Irina?"

Irina nodded. "Yes. I guess I should thank Osanne-sensei for reminding me to take it."

Griselda smiled and nodded. "Come on, let get some rest. We have a long day ahead." She said, the sun beginning to rise behind them.

* * *

**Sorry to anyone who wanted to see Izuku fight Akutagawa. Remember that reclaiming the Excaliburs comes first, and since they knew where Freed was they had to go help their friends. But man, Akutagawa came ****_VERY_**** close to crippling Izuku last chapter. If it wasn't for Ravel and her Phenex Tears, Izuku would be missing a wing for a little bit.**

**Even if Ravel didn't use a Phenex Tear to reattach the wing, it would've grown back as Ddraig said. Of course, then he had to explain what happened to his wing to begin with. But that's only if Izuku's dragon-half takes damaged. Any damage his human/devil-half takes is much more permanent.**

**Yes, Lailah ****_IS_**** an angel. And yes, she is exploiting a loophole in the system to avoid falling. Now the exact conditions of becoming a fallen angel in the DxD series are a little vague, the only real hint being "having impure thoughts results in an angel falling". In Volume 12 of the light novels, there were some traitorous angels who avoided falling because they exploited a loophole in the system. Of course, they did fall once they left heaven, but that still means it ****_IS_**** possible to do something bad and stay an angel.**

**And yes, most of the chapter is the plot from the ****_Transformers: Prime_**** episode, Predatory. Deal with it.**

**Onto Quirks: Irina's Quirk is basically like David Shield's Bendy Figures, only with her whole body. Griselda's Quirk lets her create balls of light and, if she concentrates, they can explode like a flashbang as we saw.**

**As for Lailah, her Quirk is called Spider. It basically means she can do anything a spider can, which includes digging underground like some species of spiders. As for how she got it, you get three guesses and the first two don't count.**

**But now Freed has four Excaliburs, meaning things just got a little harder. Next time we'll see a certain ax crazy sociopath and his two flunkies. Until then, stay safe and stay healthy. Go Beyond, PLUS ULTRA!**


	30. Kiba Yuuto, the Knight

**AN: Sorry this chapter took so long. It was going smoothly, but then… See, my mom has digestive issues. When on the road, she needs to use the bathroom often. This has been happening for years (starting not long after she got her gallbladder removed) but it's been getting worse lately. She went to the hospital the other day and they had her swallow a camera to see what the problem was. But that camera got lodged into at her appendix, getting caught on some scar tissue, and they had to remove it. So she had to have surgery. After that, they had to keep her at the hospital to recover but there have been issues, such as blood clots in her lungs. I've been so worried that… I haven't been focusing on my writing, or anything other than keeping the house together and the dogs fed. I couldn't even go see her because of COVID-19. Thankfully, after over 10 days, she was finally released on the 11th. She still a little weak, but doing much better than before.**

* * *

Izuku rubbed his butt for the umpteenth time as he and Rias walked back home. He won't be able to sit down for a week now. "I know you're trying to become a hero, but you can't go after every injustice you find, Izuku," Rias admonished, sticking her nose up with her eyes closed. "Just because you have the power to do so, it doesn't mean you can every time."

"I know. It's just…" Izuku sulked. "Yuuto-san is still looking for Freed and Valper. There's a chance he'll run into this Kokabiel guy. He's going to need our help," he insisted.

Rias sighed. There was no denying that. As her Knight, Yuuto was her responsibility and she needed to deal with him. And Izuku's sense of justice wouldn't allow things left unchecked the way they are. "Yes, I can't argue with you there," Rias agreed. "I only heard stories about him from my brother, but Kokabiel was as ruthless as he was powerful during the battle against the angels and the fallen. His lust for war was what got him expelled from Heaven, so it's likely that he has already made his move."

"I've already asked Mizu-san to look for Yuuto and the exorcists. Once they're found, we'll figure out what to do from there. If Kokabiel is indeed planning on starting another Great War, then we would have no choice but to break our agreement since it would be too dangerous to stay on the sidelines. In the worst-case scenario, we may need to get the Satans' help."

Izuku smiled at Rias. As pragmatic as it sounded, he could tell that Rias wasn't letting this situation be. "You're really kind, Rias," he said once they reach their apartment's door.

Rias momentarily blushed and stuttered, not expecting a compliment like that. "J-Just open the door."

Izuku laughed as he opened the lock and entered inside with Rias right behind him. Once in, they were greeted by a very unexpected surprise.

"Izu-kun, Rias. Welcome back."

"Welcome home…"

Both Pawn and King starred in total shock at what Ochako and Ibara were wearing. Both were dressed in aprons with nothing underneath them, being completely naked otherwise. Ibara's apron was white with a green floral pattern, while Ochako's apron was pink. Both girls looked very shy and coy in the position they were in.

"Ububu… what's going on…?" Izuku stuttered after his brain shut off for a moment before it rebooted.

"…A-A friend of Ibara's explained that this is essential to h-help a male friend after they've had a hard day," a blushing Ochako answered.

"W-Who t-told you that!?" Izuku asked.

"It was Aika-san…" Ibara replied meekly, looking down in embarrassment as she fiddled with her fingers.

_'__That girl is worse than Mineta!'_ Izuku mentally declared.

[You have to admit, though. She has good taste.]

_'__Ddraig, please, just don't.'_

"My, my," Rias muttered thoughtfully as she appraised the other two. "So that's how you both want to take it. It looks like I underestimated you two. You're both going to become wickedly sexy she-devils someday." Rias praised.

"Uh, thanks," Ochako honestly couldn't tell if she felt flattered or embarrassed.

"Eh? But I don't want to be a sexy devil," Ibara said in worry.

_'__Then don't wear it! In fact, please stop listening to Aika-san!' _Izuku thought, really worried about the vine-haired Bishop. He shook his head. "A-a-anyway, you two should hurry up and change before mom sees this-"

"Oh! I love these clothes!" Inko's voice said as everybody turns to see Inko coming out of the door. "Welcome home, Izuku. You're later than usual."

Izuku's blood ran cold, panic setting in as he tried to come up with an excuse. "It's not what it looks like, mom! This is- Ah! They- They didn't know how to wear-"

"I know, which is why I helped Ibara-chan and Ochako-chan."

…

"…What?" Was the only thing that came out of Izuku.

A nostalgic, flirty look appeared on Inko's face. "I remember doing this with your father once or twice when we first got together. He had the same look you do now."

"Are you kidding me, mom?!" A completely mortified Izuku yelled. That's it! He was never going to learn his parents early years.

"Well, if it's alright with you all I need a minute to freshen up," Rias said, taking off her shoes before leaning to Ibara. "You two did a good job, getting the first move on me." She whispered before walking off.

_'__I'm almost afraid to know what she's up to,'_ Izuku mentally lamented. "So… why did Aika-san give you this idea?" Izuku asked them.

"Um, well, we knew that something was bothering you," Ochako began.

"Aika-san suggested we wear these, saying that… doing this sort of thing can help a boy relax," Ibara explained.

Izuku sweat-dropped. The naked apron thing was _defiantly_ having some sort of effect, though not the one Ibara and Ochako had in mind. _'This is relaxing _how_?'_

"Izuku-san…" Izuku turned back to look at Ibara with a worried expression. "Do you not like it?"

"N-no! Of c-course not…! I-I mean…! Y-You both l-look great," Izuku stuttered.

Both girls blushed a little but smiled, flattered by Izuku's answer. But Ibara's smile was soon replaced by a downcast look.

"Huh, Ibara?" Ochako asked, she and Izuku having noticed the change in Ibara's demeanor.

"…You're still bothered by what Xenovia said the other day?" Izuku guessed.

"Yes," Ibara nodded. "I don't regret becoming a devil. Even though I can't abandon my faith, there are people whom I love more than I love the Lord," she continued. "Buchou, everyone in the club, my classmates at school, your mother, and… you, Izuku-san. You're all very precious to me."

"Ibara…" Izuku muttered.

"I never want to be alone again!" Ibara exclaimed as she hugged Izuku making the boy surprised.

Ochako smiled. "We'll always be by your side, Ibara, no matter what!" she declared as she hugged the two.

In between the girls, Izuku was having a small mental breakdown… again. While he started to get slowly accustomed with the female attention he's been getting, he still had his limits when it came to this sort of thing. The fact that he was sandwiched between a nun and a witch, both of which were wearing only one piece of clothing each, well…

"Ye-yeah, it's fine you two," Izuku stuttered, his face already turning red. Both of the girls blinked in confusion.

"Oh dear, seems like I've become the third wheel already," Inko suddenly said, her head sticking out from her bedroom, "I'll go to sleep and leave you three to your 'dinner' in the kitchen. Just be careful, okay? I don't want any accidental grandkids."

"MOM!" Izuku shouted, his cheeks completely flustered along with Ibara and Ochako's. Inko just gave a mirthful laugh as she left.

"Oh my, already having fun?" Izuku looked over as Rias came into view, dressed only in a red apron over her nude body. "Well, what do you think? Does it suit me?" she asked, showing herself off in full view with a playful wink.

Izuku's already steaming and red head got redder as blood leaked from his nose. "…Wow…" was all he could mutter.

"Oh you," Rias giggled, looking amused at his expression. "It's getting pretty late, so let's make something quick and simple."

"Right!" Ochako affirmed.

"Y-yeah!" Ibara nodded. "I promise not to mess up!"

Responding to Rias' suggestion, the three nude apron girls started preparing dinner in the kitchen. As they moved around, Izuku instinctively averted his eyes in embarrassment, burying his face in one of his hero notebooks… which he held upside down.

_'__What has become of my life?'_ He thought to himself.

* * *

_The blizzard raged unforgivingly, yet he could not stop. His body was getting weaker, yet he could not stop. His feet sank into the snow with each step he took, yet he could not stop. The young boy, around the age of 13, with short blond hair and wearing just a dirty shirt with tattered jeans tiredly walked through the frozen wasteland, coughing up blood that splattered into the snow. The pain in his chest was unbearable, but he continued to match on through the middle of nowhere. Thankfully the snow-covered ground gave way to a brick layered road. He had finally reached civilization it seemed._

_But then his legs failed him as he suddenly collapsed, his hands just barely catching him. Coughs continued hammering out of his mouth as more blood fell and his vision began to weaken._

_"__No... not yet…" he whispered weakly._

_His legs were too exhausted to keep going, so he crawled his way through the ice and storm. His focus seemed to return slightly, just for a moment, when he thought he heard a pair of footsteps approaching him. He thought he was losing his mind now but then noticed a pair of winter boots walking up before him. Looking up, he saw a shadowy figure with long hair flowing in the wind. The most distinct feature he noticed most of all were a pair of demonic wings protruding out of their back._

_"__A Dark One…" he whispered, his voice becoming hoarse. His heart began to sink, "So… I've been damned…"_

_Why did this have to happen? What did they do wrong? He and the others were trained to the best of their ability to master the holy swords to fight for the will of the Church. They were promised that their suffering was only part of His trials. That one day soon, they would earn their place in the world. That was what they were promised._

_Then those same people who made those promises gathered all of them in a tight, cramped room that could barely fit all of them where they were told that they were deemed as lost causes and ill-equipped to serve God. In the midst of shock and confusion, the gas came and covered everyone. With the last of their strength, they staged a rebellion and managed to break out of the gas chamber and fight off the people that they trusted. It was for naught, of course. Many had already succumbed to the gas. Those who didn't were cut down without mercy. But they knew that they were all done for. It was a distraction to get at least one of them to escape, to expose what happened at the facility. Their one last hope._

_But it would appear that God had no use for him either._

"_What do you desire?"_

_The Dark One spoke, in a gentle voice. He gave a small, bitter smile as blood dripped from his mouth. "It makes sense… for one who left his comrades to die to lose his blessings… but despite that… I still want to live… just… once more…"_

_His consciousness disappeared soon after that._

* * *

Yuuto woke up with a start, gasping as he took in his surroundings. He was in a small cave, sunlight shining in through the exit into the cave. The then remembered the events of the previous night, about how he had gone after Valper and Freed, chasing them into Endoru Forest Park. He lost track of them somewhere near a lake. He had gone into this cave to see if they were hiding here, but he must've fallen asleep.

Shaking off the drowsiness and the dirt and rocks that stuck to him, Yuuto stepped outside. _'I haven't thought back to that day in a long while…'_ In front of him was Endoru Lake, the largest body of water in the park. The rising sun gave the lake an incredible beautiful shimmer. Yuuto couldn't help but smile at the sight.

Rias and the others would love to see this. His eye then caught something shining on the other side of the lake. There, hidden by trees and overgrowth, stood an old manor, likely built during the park's industrial past. Yuuto narrowed his eyes, though. If there was _anywhere_ those two monsters were hiding, it was there.

* * *

The new day went on and still no word from Yuuto or the exorcists. That alone was enough to cause worry. Rias and the others had their familiars looking throughout the city for them, Mizu doing the same. Of course, this resulted in her class being canceled for the day. But that didn't mean anyone could relax. The Sports Festival was only a week away, as such some in their class had gone to train at the school's gym.

Unfortunately, the heroics students of the ORC couldn't partake in any after-school training for the sports festival. They had far more pressing matters to deal with.

"Still nothing?" Izuku asked, he and everyone else in the ORC clubroom, with Yuuto being the only exception.

"No," Rias shook her head. "And Mizu hasn't found the exorcists either."

"What should we do?" Momo asked.

"Let's meet up later tonight. We'll come up with a plan and head out to look for them."

* * *

Later that night, out on the street in front of the Midoriya apartment, Rias started to set up a plan to start their search for Yuuto, the ORC having gathered, all of them prepared to head out.

"You didn't have to come, Kyoka-san," Izuku said to the sole human of the group.

"I'm part of the club, aren't I?" Kyoka asked rhetorically. "I wanna help in any way I can."

"We appreciate the help, Kyoka," Rias smiled. "We'll need to split up in groups of two so we can cover more ground."

Ravel suddenly clung onto Izuku's arm, making him blush. "I'm going with Izuku!" She proclaimed.

"No fair!" Ochako hugged Izuku's free arm. "I wanted to team up with Izu-kun first!"

"You already _had_ your turn," Ravel shot back.

Just then, a hostile presence filled the air, causing the teens to tense up. "It seems we won't need to split up after all," Rias said, turning her head to the source of the presence. Down the street, they saw Freed walking towards the devils, his normal sadistic smile present.

"Freed!" Izuku growled.

"Sup, dickwads?" Freed casually said, waving theatrically. "You don't look all that happy to see me, do ya? Did I catch you in the middle of an orgy?"

"What do you want?" Rias demanded, already tensing up for a fight.

"Will you guys chill out? I didn't come for a fight… yet," Freed chuckled. "My boss just wants to have a word with you," he said, pointing his thumb to the sky. As soon as he did, an overwhelming presence coming down on them. The ORC looked to the air, and illuminating from the light of the moon was a figure of a man in a black suit, long black hair with side bangs, piercing red eyes, and ten black wings on his back.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Rias of Gremory," the fallen angel smeared with faux politeness. "Your crimson hair is as lovely as they say… it reminds me of that meddlesome brother of yours."

"A pleasure to meet you as well. I take it you are Kokabiel of the Grigori?" Rias asked. She was putting up a brave front, but she could feel the impure holy energy coming from his wings, and it chilled her to the bone. The rest of her servants and Ravel behind her looked just as nervous was they quickly realized the kind of strength Kokabiel had. Even Kyoka, who couldn't feel latent holy energy, was able to feel his power through instinct alone

"_Formerly_ of the Grigori," Kokabiel corrected, an amused smirk on his face. "I am the instigator of the Excalibur thefts."

"Yep!" Freed laughed. "And thanks to some dumb bitches, I have anyone lovely Excalibur in my collection!" He reached into his coat and pulled out a familiar katana. Everyone in the group, Izuku especially, reacted instantly.

"That's the Excalibur Mimic!" Izuku exclaimed. "What did you do to Rinchan!?"

"Oh, don't worry. I'm sure they'll turn up eventually," the stray priest said, putting the sword away.

"What are you after, Kokabiel?" Rias demanded.

"Why that's simple, little girl. I want to bring about another Great War!" Kokabiel declared, causing the young devils to inhale a breath in shock. "Ever since that damned ceasefire, the so-called 'peace' between the Three Factions has been utterly dull and boring. Azazel and Shemhazai weren't keen on another war. Not only that but Azazel spends all his time collecting Sacred Gears and even unique Quirks. He always gets completely immersed in whatever he's collecting. The only thing that makes this peace worth a damn is the fact that it's far from stable. One small tremor and-" Kokabiel snapped his fingers, "this glasshouse will shatter into pieces. So I decided to take a hammer to it, instead."

"That's why you stole the Excaliburs? You actually _want _to start a war?" Rias asked in disbelief and with hatred directed towards the warmongering fallen angel hovering above them. "Then why come to Musutafu of all places?"

"A precaution. I had hoped that stealing the Excalibur pieces from the Church would be enough to be the flame I needed to start the fires of war. But instead of chasing them in full force, the Church instead sends three measly exorcists after them? It makes me wonder if they actually cared about the blades in the first place." Kokabiel admitted, shaking his head in disappointment. "And so, if the angels weren't willing to start a war, then… perhaps the devils might instead."

Izuku's eyes widened before they narrowed. "I knew it… You were after Rias all along!"

"Wh-what?!" Rias blanched in disbelief, but the cruel cackling above them immediately confirmed his suspicions.

"Very perceptive, Red Dragon," Kokabiel complimented. "That is correct. The sister of the great Devil King, Sirzechs Lucifer, and the sister of the great Serafall Leviathan, Sona Sitri. I imagine that killing one or both with an Excalibur would be quite the match I need to ignite this war. The school where the younger sisters of Lucifer and Leviathan study, and where the Symbol of Peace teaches, will be the perfect stage."

"You wouldn't!" Rias shouted.

"Oh yes I would!" Kokabiel sneered back, "Of course, ravishing and killing Sirzechs' kid sister has its own merits since it would definitely send him coming after me, but that alone isn't very fun. Freed?"

"Yeah, boss man?"

"Do you still have them? As you'd like me to keep my word, I'd rather you keep yours as well."

"Yeah, yeah. It's all right here," Freed huffed slightly before opening his robe. On the side, there were three swords glimmering with holy power. The holy radiation from the swords was unmistakable

"Those swords… those are the Excaliburs?" Momo gasped.

"Ain't my boss totally awesome? Really makes me glad I teamed up with him. He's just cruisin' for a bloody brawl just like me! Not to mention he's letting me play with lots of spiffy new toys!" Freed laughed as he pointed at each of his swords. "You already know Excalibur Rapidly, this one is Excalibur Nightmare, then there's Excalibur Transparency, and we can't forget about Excalibur Mimic. I was hoping to get my hands on Excalibur Destruction, but that damn spider-bitch couldn't deliver. I wanted a complete collection, but oh well! And the holy factor Old Man Valper gave me makes me feel pretty fuckin' invincible!"

"Indeed, Valper's research is starting to show its merits," Kokabiel noted. "You've done well."

Rias' teeth gritted. "And you think that the leaders of Heaven and the Underworld would let you get away with this? Not even the fallen angels will forgive you."

"I'm counting on it! If you want to stop me so badly, then meet me at your school! I look forward to it!" Kokabiel smirked as he finished and disappeared in a snow of black feathers before Rias could have said anything.

"Don't keep us waiting, bitches!" Freed also disappeared after throwing off his flash-bang.

After a few moments of mulling over what Kokabiel just said, Izuku spoke up. "Buchou, what should we do?"

"We don't have any other option," Rias decided after being silent for a moment. "We're going to have to get back to U.A. before Kokabiel can destroy it. If he does, there's no telling what the reaction would be."

* * *

There really was no stopping Kokabiel from entering U.A. ground. And given just how big U.A.'s campus was, he could be anywhere. However, there was still something that could be done to prevent innocent people from being caught in the crossfire. Rias had contacted Sona, Kudelia, and their peerages, telling them what was going to happen. Rias and her peerage were going to confront Kokabiel and stop him while the other two peerages would erect a barrier to keep the battle contained on school grounds. With two devil peerages keeping the barrier in check, there was a greater chance of keeping the battle from spilling out of control.

"We need to be careful of any faculty," said Kudelia. "Any commotion Kokabiel will make will get the heroes' attention."

"We would also have to worry about any camera drones," Sona added. "They often patrol the school grounds after-hours. There's also the possibility some teachers or students could still be present. If any of them were to see this…"

"Don't worry about that," Mizu suddenly appeared, walking up to them. "I just made a quick stop at the security room. Any camera drones that patrol this area are currently recharging and all surveillance footage is under a loop. Once everything's over I'll set it back. And it looks like the entire campus is empty. We don't have to worry about anyone seeing us."

"Mizu," Rias greeted. "Have you heard anything on the exorcists?"

"I just made contact with Griselda," Mizu said. "They'll be here in a few minutes."

"What about Kiba," Tsubaki asked, helping her fellow members create the barrier. "Have you heard anything from him?"

"No, but I've got a hunch that he'll be here to confront Valper." Mizu told her.

"Do you know where Kokabiel is?"

Mizu nodded. "Kokabiel and his cronies are not attempting to hide. They're at the P.E. Grounds. And Valper has already started some kind of ritual with the Excaliburs."

"It's still not too late, you two," Kudelia said to them. "We still have time to call your siblings for aid."

"You know that my family situation is… complicated." Sona chuckled, seeming reluctant to go into further detail. "But it is undeniable that your brother loves you, Rias. He will come if you call."

"There's no need." Before Rias could answer, Momo called out to the three pure-blooded devils. "I've already contacted Sirzechs-sama and he's agreed to help us."

"Momo!" Rias scolded her Queen with annoyance. "How could you do something like that without asking me first?"

Momo flinched slightly, but Mizu quickly got in-between them. "Rias, I know you're upset and that you don't want to disturb your brother unless absolutely necessary…" the sorcerer spoke calmly. "But our enemy is a _leader-class_ fallen angel! He's not someone any of us can beat on our own. Besides, if Momo hadn't done so, I would've. That's why, even though I normally try to leave him out of this sort of thing, I called the Doc for help."

"The Sorcerer Supreme? You told him the situation?" Sona asked. "What did he say?"

"He's a bit busy at the moment, but promised to get here as soon as he can," Mizu explained before turning her attention back to Rias. "But that's how serious this situation is. We need all the help we can get."

Rias stared at the two in silence for a few seconds before sighing heavily. "Well, I suppose I can't argue that point. I guess I've lost to you both this time," she relented with a slight nod.

Momo sighed in relief as Mizu gave a small at Rias' concession. "Thank you for understanding, Buchou. Sirzechs and his troops will be here in just about an hour."

"That's how long it'll take Kamar-Taj to get here too," said Mizu. "We'll have to stall Kokabiel until then."

"We can easily hold the barrier until then as long as nothing excessive happens," Sona said.

"Kaichou, Kudelia-sama," the two pure-blooded devils in question turn to their servants, Tsubasa and Milia.

"What is it?" Kudelia asked.

"We want to help," Tsubasa answered.

"We weren't able to catch Freed or Valper when we could. Let us rectify that, please," Milia begged her master.

Sona was tempted to tell them no, wanting as much help they could get to keep the barrier up. But Kudelia had already beaten her with an answer.

"I say we let them," said Kudelia, to Sona's surprise. "We already have more than enough to keep the barrier up. Besides, they're trying to become heroes, right?"

Sona gave a small smile. "Very well. I suppose this will be their way to make up for their earlier mistake."

Both hero students smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Kaichou," Tsubasa nodded.

Nearby, Kyoka and Momo were talking. "There's no way Kokabiel doesn't know," Kyoka whispered to her girlfriend. "You _need_ to tell them!"

"I know, but…" whatever words Momo was going to say died in her throat. "This… isn't the best time or place."

"Momo…"

"Momo, come on. We're heading in!" Rias called.

Momo looked to her master and friends, then turned back to Kyoka. "Wish us luck," she gave Kyoka a quick kiss on the lips before joining up with everyone else. Kyoka could only watch in worry as Sona and Kudelia created a large, blue, and purple transparent dome around the school, Rias and the others inside.

"Izuku, do you think you can use your Balance Breaker?" Rias asked as they made their way to the P.E. Grounds.

"I'm not sure," Izuku admitted. "I'm still not entirely sure how I did it the first time."

"I see," Rias sighed. "We'll have to work on it later. For now, I'll need you to be in support for this fight."

This made Izuku raise an eyebrow. "Support?"

"I want you to increase your powers so that you can transfer them to the rest of us to increase our strength."

"If that's the case, we'll watch his back," Tsubasa proclaimed, Milia nodding in agreement.

Ravel then asked Rias, "So does that mean the rest of us are going to be doing the fighting until he transfers power to you guys?"

"That's right," she responded with a smile, looking at Momo and Koneko. "I think we'll be able to stall them for that amount of time, don't you?"

"Yeah, I think we can manage that," Momo said.

"Absolutely," Koneko replied.

"Are you sure about this," Izuku asked. "I want to be able to help you all in the fighting."

Rias looked over her right shoulder to smile at him. "Yes, I am, and you will be helping us," she said. Then, she looked over to her peerage. "Alright, everyone. Our target is Kokabiel of the fallen angels. Our objective is to stall him and keep him from destroying the school before reinforcements arrive. Let's be careful. He intends to do whatever it takes to destroy everything and we can't allow that to happen!" She raised her fist up into the air, "We cannot hesitate! If we see an enemy before us, we must destroy it!"

"Right!" her servants all nodded fiercely.

Izuku closed his eyes and Promoted to Queen. Now the real fight will begin.

* * *

Hyde gave out a long yawn as he walked home, having spent a bit too much time at U.A.'s gym training. "Man… I didn't realize Iida took training so seriously. Then again, he takes everything seriously," he muttered, rubbing his aching shoulder. He was going to be sore for days, he just knew it.

As he walked, a figure suddenly appeared before him. "Huh? Who're you?" He couldn't tell who it was as they wore a black hooded coat that hid they face. They were about the same height as him, just barely taller by a centimeter.

"Wait a minute… You're that guy Iida told us about!" Hyde realized. Iida had told his classmates about the mysterious figure who helped him during the USJ incident. "Why are you here?"

The hooded figure remained silent. Instead, they pointed up toward U.A. Hyde looked up the hill, and saw that some kind of energy dome had appeared over the main building. "The hell? How did I miss that? When did you…"

Hyde blinked in surprise. The hooded figure was gone.

"Okay… Got serious ninja vibes there," Hyde looked back up at U.A. Something told him that something bad was happening there. And he needed to get there now.

* * *

Sitting on a golden throne that was floating in the air by a magic circle was Kokabiel. Before him on the ground was Valper in the center of the sports field. He stood in the middle of an ominous magic circle with four of the Excaliburs circling above him. The disgraced archbishop had his arms raised from side to side with his gaze aimed directly at the holy swords, his ritual needing a lot of focus. "How much longer until they are merged?" Kokabiel asked.

"Not much longer," Valper said, not taking his gaze away from the swords. "Five to ten more minutes at least."

Kokabiel smiled. While this was entirely unnecessary for his plans, it would be quite entertaining to see. But that wasn't the only reason he was smiling. Several presences were moving through the school grounds, reaching them in the center. "So tell me. Is Sirzechs or Serafall coming?" He didn't even bother looking at them. "Or is it the Sorcerer Supreme? Or All Might? Frankly, I don't care which."

"Right now, we're the ones ready to fight," Rias said defiantly. "That's all that matters."

Kokabiel frowned and rose his arm before pointing it forward. A ray of light shot out from his hand and darted over the group. It hit the gymnasium behind them, causing a devastating explosion as it blew up brightly. Shock was etched on their faces at the display.

"How disappointing… I came to face warriors and here I am confronted by children," Kokabiel growled.

Izuku couldn't help but stare at the crater left in the wake of Kokabiel's attack, chills running up his spine.

[Are you scared, partner?] Ddraig asked.

_'__After seeing that, yeah. I am,'_ Izuku replied. _'But I won't let that stop me.'_

Ddraig chuckled. [There's the Izuku I know. Just be careful. He is a veteran from the great war who fought against both the Devil Kings and God.]

"I think I'll let you kids play with my favorite pets. It should provide some entertainment for me at least," Kokabiel declared before snapping his fingers. As he did so, a bright light erupted from the floor beneath him to reveal a new magic circle which soon after spouted a large plume of flames into the air.

A large, black-furred paw stepped out of the fire and was quickly followed by the rest of its body. It emerged out of the flames to reveal itself as a 10m tall, black-furred dog. It had four thick legs, each with a set of sharp claws, but the thing that concerned Izuku the most was the fact that the massive beast had _three_ heads, each with a set of razor-sharp teeth.

The sudden appearance of the beast shocked everyone, especially Mizu. "Cerberus!?" she exclaimed in shock as the three-headed dog roared loudly in their direction.

"Wait…Cerberus!?" Izuku asked, unable to take his eyes off the beat in question. "As in the same Cerberus who guards the gates of Hell!?"

"The very same," Mizu explained, watching as another Cerberus started to climb out, revealing there to be more than just one for the group to fight.

"Summoning them to this realm is forbidden!" Rias stated with anger in her voice.

"I'll take the one on the left," Mizu drew the Yukinoha. "You guys take the one on the right!"

"Hai!" Momo, Ochako, Ravel, and Koneko nodded as they sprang into action.

"Izuku, Ibara, you two stay with Milia and Tsubasa. Charge up your Boosted Gear," Rias ordered as she joined her servants.

Izuku bit his lip as he watched his friends fight the demonic beasts._ 'If only I could use Balance Breaker, or was at least stronger, then I can help.'_

**[Boost!]**

Rias, Momo, Ravel, Ochako, and Koneko attacked Cerberus with gusto. Koneko inflicted blow after enhanced blow against it while Momo shot it with her lightning and Rias, Ochako, and Ravel attacked the beast with their own magic. If this wasn't enough of a challenge, they also had to contend with the balls of fire which the large dog fired from out of its three mouths, but Ravel was able to deal with those easily.

Nearby, the Cerberus that Mizu was fighting had already lost a head, frozen solid by the Yukinoha. Mizu had also created a sword of pure plasma, which she used with deadly effect as she sliced up another head with ease.

As he watched them battle the Cerberus, Izuku couldn't help but think of All Might's offer. If he had One For All right now, would he be able to help?

**[Boost!]**

A sudden roar and scream from behind him brought Izuku out of his thoughts. He spun around to see Ibara, Tsubasa, and Milia looking behind them as two more Cerberus lunged at them with, ravenous hunger in their eyes.

Acting quickly, Ibara used her vines to ensnare one of the giant, demonic beasts. It desperately tried to break free to no effect as its sibling continued its charge. Milia, however, used her Quirk to stab the eyes of the other Cerberus, the hellhound howling in pain as Tsubasa, having absorbed the concrete ground, grabbed the Cerberus' hind leg and spun around, before throwing the Cerberus at the one Rias and the others were fighting. "Nice one, Yura-san!" Izuku cheered.

Just then the Cerberus that Ibara was holding began to break free form its vines. The Cerberus growled at them as it was about to leap at them again when the middle head howled in pain for a second before its head separated from its neck and fell to the floor where it disappeared in a plume of flames.

"What the…" Izuku exclaimed with confusion before he noticed a glint above him. He looked up to see none other than Xenovia soaring above the large demon dog, her Excalibur of Destruction in her hands.

"Xenovia-san!" They shouted.

"Thought you could use a little help, Zuku!" Izuku looked up in time to see Irina, wielding a regal-looking longsword, flipping in mid-air and bringing her holy sword down on the demon below her, cleaving it right through its middle. The two halves of the demon fell to the floor, its heads howling in pain for the last time before they followed the middle head's lead and both parts of it became engulfed in flames before disappearing.

"We did it!" Irina cheered, eliciting a small smile from Griselda as she joined them.

"Don't relax too soon. We still have more-" However, any and all levity was halted when Griselda suddenly noticed a small blur in the corner of her eye.

"Irina! Watch out!"

"Eh-" Before Irina could react, another Cerberus jumped at her from behind.

_*Slice!*_

Only for it to be split in two by dark red energy. Once the two half fell to the ground, a familiar duel-toned teen was seen standing behind the demonic beast.

"So is this a private party or can anyone come and play?" Hyde asked, placing the Insulator on his shoulder.

"Kido-san!?" Izuku gasped. "Why are you here?"

"It's kinda hard to miss how a giant glowing dome is covering half the school," Hyde replied. "You okay?" He asked Irina.

"Yeah, thanks."

"That's an interesting sword you have," Xenovia commented.

"Xenovia, focus!" Griselda shouted, firing several arrows at another Cerberus, all of which exploded upon hitting the beast.

"Right, sorry!"

As the fighting went on, Valper caught notice of the four newcomers. Or rather, he caught notice of the replacement holy sword that Irina was welding. If his memory was right, that was the Hauteclere, a holy sword owned by Olivier, a legendary paladin who served under Charlemagne. So she had an extra in stock in case she lost her Excalibur it seemed. How clever. But how was she able to even use it? Only those with a pure heart could even _touch _Hauteclere, let alone wield it. Plus his research only extended to the Excaliburs. It shouldn't be possible for her to use another holy sword unless…

"Roooooooooaaaaaaaaar!" three animalistic sounds called out in unison.

Izuku and Ibara looked up to see another Cerberus leaping towards them. Instinctively, Izuku wrapped his arms protectively around Ibara and was about to jump out of the beast's way, when…

"Rashomon: Agito!"

Two black blades suddenly bisected the Cerberus. Ibara and Izuku gapped in shock as the dead beast landed in front of them.

Behind the Cerberus stood Akutagawa, Higuchi and Raynare beside him, surpassing a cough and his hand outstretched. "R-Raynare?!" Ibara trembled upon seeing the fallen angel. Raynare for her part, merely glared at them silently.

Izuku, though, could only stare in shock at Akutagawa. He saved them. Why? "Why did-?"

"Don't get the wrong idea, Welsh Dragon," Akutagawa said. "I only saved the Twilight Healer. If she were to die, our chances of defeating the Cadre greatly diminish."

Raynare took the moment to examine the battlefield, but her eyes were quickly drawn to one individual in particular. "L-Lord…K-Kokabiel…" Raynare stuttered, her body trembling at the sight of the Cadre, who sneered at her.

"Raynare, focus," Higuchi reprimanded.

Raynare shook her head and took a deep breath, forming a spear of light as she and the other Mafiosi were ready to enter the fray.

Just in time, too, as several more Cerberus appeared, surrounding the group.

"More of them?!" Irina exclaimed.

"Just how many of these beasts did Kokabiel summon?" Griselda asked.

"I despise dogs," Akutagawa growled as he calmly stepped forward, and then… "Rashomon!" His cloak grabbed each of the Cerberus' and lifted them into the air before converging, taking up most of his coat until all that was left were some fabric around his wrists and waist. "Higanzakura!"

The Cerberus' all cried in pain as the Rashomon suddenly exploded into several finely developed flower spikes. Akutagawa promptly retracted his coat, the bodies of the Cerberus' falling to the ground, dead.

"What the hell?!" Hyde gasped, along with everyone else.

"He killed my pets with such ease. He certainly lives up to his name as the Rabid Dog," Kokabiel commented with an excited grin. Akutagawa's ability reminded him of a Sacred Gear called The Scarlet Letter. Kokabiel recalled how one wielder of The Scarlet Letter currently worked for the Church in North America. He would love to see this 'Rashomon' and The Scarlet Letter fight if only to see who was stronger.

"It's finished!" Valper suddenly exclaimed. Because everyone was preoccupied with clearing out the monsters from the field, he had the free time to continue with his ritual uninterrupted. The four swords had slowly merged together into one single sword, combining in a brilliant golden flash. The sword slowly planted into the ground, its power drawing into the magic circle underneath Valper. "The ritual to unite the Excaliburs is now complete. In the next twenty minutes, the might of this sword will obliterate this city into rubble." The reaction of the opposing side was predictable horror.

"Twenty minutes?! Sirzechs and the other's won't make it in time!" Mizu exclaimed fearfully.

"Ho? So your research has reached this far then," Kokabiel said, looking very impassive over the news.

"There is a way to stop the ritual, however," Valper said, pointing up at his master with a sinister smile. "Should you be able to slay Kokabiel before the time limit, the city will be spared."

Kokabiel looked over to his right and gave a small sigh. "Freed, you want to cross blades with them, don't you?"

Freed, who was watching the battle from a nearby tree, dropped down and walked over to the sword with a fidgety grin plastered on his face. "That's right! That's right! Can't tell you how excited I am, boss man!"

"Then go ahead and play. This will be a suitable test for the four united Excaliburs before the war begins," Kokabiel ordered.

"Hehehe! FINALLY!" Freed laughed as he took the sword into his hands and gave it a few swings. And then he took off with the new Excalibur, ready to sate his bloodlust and other desires. He already had a target in mind.

Freed leaped into the air, right over Griselda. The green-haired woman gasped, unprepared to be targeted so soon. "GOTCHA, BITCH!" he laughed loudly. Quickly, Griselda rolled out of the way of the rouge exorcist's attack. Freed quickly swung his fused Excalibur at her. Griselda quickly parried Freed's sword with her bow.

"My boss sure knows how to put his henchmen to work, amirite?!" Freed grinned wickedly as he forced pressure to push her back. "But it ain't such a bad deal since I get to play with an awesomely awesome sword! Excalibur and I are gonna have a hell of time slicing up devils into itty-bitty pieces!"

"That sword doesn't belong to you!" Griselda spat in disgust.

"Well, it feels fine to me. Just like _my _sword!" Freed thrusting himself at her. Griselda quickly broke the deadlock and jumped back, seriously not liking the gesture.

"You son of a bitch," Griselda cursed, notching an arrow. "You've soiled Excalibur. It can hardly be called a holy sword now."

"Oh ho, what a mouth you've got," Freed retorted crudely. "I wonder how it feels wrapped around my-"

"Rashomon!" Rushing in out of nowhere, Akutagawa's Quirk came rushing toward Freed, forcing the ex-priest to quickly raise his sword to block the attack. But Rashomon proved stronger as its attack sent Freed flying. The mad priest tumbled through the air before landing on his feet, only to jump out of the way as several black blades attempted to skewer him.

"You're fucking annoying, ya know that!" Freed yelled before smiling. "But you're also slow!" Using the power of Excalibur Rapidly, Freed zoomed past Akutagawa's attacks, closing in on him within a split second.

"Here I come-!" Freed exclaimed jumping in midair, with the Excalibur raised intend to cut the Rabid Dog down.

But Akutagawa smiled, something Freed noticed too late as a giant black maw appeared behind Akutagawa. "Rashomon: Gokumon Agito!" The giant maw closed down on Freed, a sickening crunch sounding from it. As the maw receded, Freed's lifeless body fell.

But the body quickly disappeared. "An illusion!" Akutagawa quickly realized, the real Freed appearing being him, swinging his blade. Akutagawa didn't have time to fight back.

"Devoured Space!" A red glowing barrier stopped Freed's attack right as he was about to cut off Akutagawa's head. But that didn't stop Freed from drawing his gun and shooting Akutagawa in the leg. Due to the pain, Akutagawa was unable to concentrate and his shield dropped.

Cackling like mad, Freed quickly kick Akutagawa, sending the Rabid Dog hurtling into a nearby tree. "Akutagawa!Senpai!" Raynare and Higuchi cried out, the latter running to him as he emptied the contents of his stomach.

"Oh~? What's this? Don't tell me that little kick was all it took to take you out?" Freed teased.

As Akutagawa sat there, a familiar feeling crept over him, like he had been in this situation, or at least this position, before. Then he remembered something that happened not long after he first joined the Port Mafia, nearly 6 years ago.

* * *

_Akutagawa coughed blood, his body badly bruised as he laid on the ground. It was dark in the warehouse he was in, the only source of light being the moon. His head felt to be on the verge of splitting open any second, and blood was dripping from his nose._

_In front of him, expectation in his eye, was Dazai. He wore a black coat as a cape and a black suit, and bandages were wrapped around his right eye. "You're Quirk is pathetic. Not only is it slow to activate, but you also get headaches when you use it for any amount of time. Your opponent won't be polite enough to wait for you to recover or attack."_

_Akutagawa knew that Dazai was right. Before Dazai recruited him into the Port Mafia, the most Akutagawa ever used his Quirk for was repairing his clothes on occasion, which always took a toll on him. Even now, he needed to rest to use his Quirk effectively again. But Dazai wasn't the type to wait._

_"__Get up. Answer back with your Quirk."_

_Slowly, Akutagawa stood back up. With a yell, Akutagawa concentrated, willing his Quirk to create a small black streak. It shot out of his coat and charged at Dazai._

_Dazai simply lifted his hand and blocked the streak, which immediately retreated back to his coat. Before Akutagawa could react, Dazai ran up to him and kicked him in the stomach, sending the young Mafioso flying into some crates, coughing out more blood._

_"__A weak attack like that won't be enough to survive in the Port Mafia!" Dazai yelled. "Your Quirk is basically a muscle. The more you tear that muscle, the stronger it becomes. That's the only way for you to get stronger and discover your Quirk's full capabilities. If you can't do that, then you're better off going back to the slums as a stray dog."_

_Shakily, Akutagawa pushed himself and stood up, determination in his eyes._

_"__Excellent. Let's go again."_

* * *

"Guess you're nothing more than a weak motherfucker pretending to be strong," Freed taunted. This nearly resulted in him being split in half as one of Rashomon's blades came charging at him. Freed quickly dodged the attack, glaring at Akutagawa.

"Senpai!" Higuchi called out, but she and Raynare didn't go to his aid. Something about him was different.

Akutagawa no longer had an indifferent expression. Now he looked utterly pissed. "Rashomon! Renmon Agito!" Several jaws shot out of Akutagawa's coat, rushing toward the mad exorcist.

Freed laughed as he effortlessly avoided the jaws from Akutagawa's attack. "Is that the best you got?" Freed laughed… only for an arrow to pin him against a tree by his coat. "The fuck-?!" Was all he could say before the arrow exploded.

Freed cried in pain, part of his face burned and scarred from the exploding arrow before he glared hatefully at the one responsible: Griselda. Beside her were Irina and Xenovia.

"Oh right, I nearly forgot about you three!" He gripped the fused Excalibur. "Let's have a fourway!" Freed proclaimed as he charged ahead at the three, just then the blade of the sword shifting and changing as if it was alive before the priest swings it like a whip and the blade extant.

The three exorcists dodge the attack as it hit the ground, but the blade extant again as it went to Griselda, and the exorcists parried before it could stab her.

The blade then rose up before the tip change into something fork-like as three extant blades went after the three, one on each. Griselda parried again, Xenovia blocked it as it bounced and Irina dodged one before parry. Irina growled at how her Excalibur Mimic was being used against her. Turning the blade back to its original self, Freed then charged ahead. "It'd be more fun if we had more people!" As soon as he said that, copies of him appeared out of thin air, all charging at them at once.

Hyde, who was watching from nearby, exclaimed in shock. "He can clone himself?!"

"Illusions," Xenovia corrected. "The Excalibur Nightmare has the ability to create illusions and manipulate dreams."

As Freed and the illusion clones were charging, the blade of the swords disappeared, a sign he was using the power of Excalibur Transparency. "We won't be able to see the blade! Get ready!" Griselda warned.

The squad of Freeds cackled in unison as they all swarmed around the three of them, slashing around with bladeless hilts. All three of them clumsily flinched and backed away from the swordless slashes, unable to tell which one was real. Each time they struck back, a version of Freed vanished and another took their place.

"Which one's the real one?!" Irina cried out.

Nearby, Izuku and Rias ran up, stopping next to Hyde. "One has to be real," Rias squinted her eyes. "But I can't tell which one."

"Midoriya, now's a good time for your big brain to come up with an idea!" Hyde told him.

Izuku squinted his eyes, looking at each Freed carefully. All of them were perfectly identical, making it impossible to tell them apart. They even casted shadows. But then one of the Freeds, in preparation to attack, kicked up a little dirt. It was a small amount, easy to miss, but Izuku noticed.

"That one!" He pointed at the Freed in question.

Nodding, Hyde ran ahead, gathering dark energy in his Insulator. "Black Orbiter!" He fired a ring of dark energy at the Freed.

Freed gasped when he saw the Black Orbiter coming for him, having barely enough time to block the attack. The illusions of Freed all vanished as the real Freed was pushed back.

"You little…!" Freed charged forward, aiming the invisible fused Excalibur at Hyde, intent on stabbing him in his stupid face. Hyde, realizing he didn't have many options, stabbed the Insulator into the ground.

"GYRE VORTEX!"

A massive burst of dark energy caught Freed off guard, sending him flying back, crashing into a tree. Hyde's attack had left a small crater underneath his position, and Freed was covered in rubble. "Whoa! Nice!" Irina cheered.

Rias agreed. Hyde was stronger than she thought. She quietly wondered if she could add him to her peerage as her second Knight.

"What the hell was that?!" Freed hissed as he got back up. "What kind of sword does- Huh?!" Freed then saw that the light his fused Excalibur was normally emitting was darker in certain places, the same dark energy Hyde uses in his attacks apparently consuming it.

"What the fuckity fuck!? This black stuff is eating my Excalibur's holy aura!"

"What?! That's impossible!" Valper exclaimed.

Kokabiel, on the other hand, looked on with sudden interest. "I see, so the boy has it."

"Has what?!" Valper looked back at Kokabiel. "What's so special about that blade?!"

"I remembered something from Azazel's lectures," Kokabiel started to explain. "There's a Sacred Gear called The Void, a black blade that can cut through anything. He explained that if The Void were to evolve into a Sub Species it could become a Longinus, and that the blade can easily cut through and destroy anything in its path, even the soul. He called this Sub Species: Void Red, the Indulgence of Insulation."

If he remembered right from Azazel's lectures, the Longinus Sacred Gears, from the True Longinus to the Boosted Gear to Telos Karma, all have one thing in common: They are all powerful enough to kill Gods. When rumors of new Longinus that weren't part of the original thirteen, Azazel had been quick to study it. Kokabiel wished he had paid more attention to his lectures because now he was seeing one of these rumored new Longinus firsthand. "A blade with the potential to surpass Excalibur," Kokabiel chuckled darkly. "_Very_ interesting."

"I don't care what that is!" Freed hissed, glaring hatefully at Hyde. "All I care about is slicing up that clownfish boy into piec- eh?" A wave of swords shot out from the ground and roared towards Freed. Freed quickly jumped back, avoiding getting skewered. Looking up, he sneered from the direction it came from. "Huh. Took ya long enough."

"Pardon my lateness," Yuuto said, slowly lifting his hand from the dirt as he stood from the ground. "I took a small detour on my way here. I didn't realize how long it would take."

"Yuuto, you're back!" Rias said in relief, happy that her servant was safe.

"Sorry about worrying you, Buchou," Yuuto said, walking over. "But I found myself preoccupied exploring an old manor… a manor with plenty of incriminating evidence. I just want to confirm what I found."

Upon hearing this, Valper perked up his head, walking towards the blond-haired boy. "Ah, Little Isaiah. I heard about one of the subjects managing to escape… I just had no idea you would become something as disgusting as a devil," he frowned angrily before grinning evilly. "But thanks to you and all the other defects, I was able to complete the project."

Yuuto's light-blue eyes widened at that saying. "Complete…?" he asked.

Valper's eyes turned malicious. "All of you subjects didn't have enough of the gene to use the Holy Swords. Knowing that, I concluded that the only way to go forward with the project…" His entire face turned completely evil as he finished. "Was to extract the genes of the subjects!" Yuuto gasped in horror. He could feel his palms shake and his skin crawling at hearing that fact. "And thus, we were able to crystallize them!" the Genocide Bishop added as he took out a blue crystal with a glowing light-blue center.

"This is what it looks like, all of their genes from that time I had them crystallized," the blonde-haired boy gasped in horror again as his eyes grew wider in complete terror. "This is the last one though." He was nearly in tears, shaking even more.

Freed laughed once more and added. "All the others besides me died halfway through because they couldn't take their genes~! Thinking of it that way~, I am just so special, don't you agree~?"

"No… you didn't…!" Izuku yelled angrily.

"Here. I'll give this to you as a reward for all the data I collected from you and your friends. It was invaluable to me, after all," Valper laughed, dropping the crystal in front of Yuuto. "That is the last bit of cells I extracted from your group. Now you can finally have them close to you again before the end. I don't need it anymore as we can mass produce the crystals."

"T-this is…" Yuuto inhaled a breath, trembling as he reached forward and took the crystal of light in his hands.

"That…" Xenovia peered an eye back at the two, her attention taken by the flask. "That looks like what the church uses to bless those given the right to wield an Excalibur piece… like the one Irina was blessed with."

"So the blessing I received… was actually the crystallized genes of those unfortunates…?" Irina took a step back, clutching herself as she laughed nervously. "No… that's a lie… you're lying…" The entire time she thought she was blessed by God to be one of his chosen warriors to protect His children. Instead, she was the byproduct of lab rats who couldn't cut it.

Valper clicked his tongue. "Those hypocrites. They banished me from the church for my research, but still ended up using it to create their own Excalibur wielders," Valper scoffed, a small smirk edged at his mouth. "Though considering it was Michael giving it, I doubt that he killed anyone doing so. He's more human than I'll ever be, after all."

"This… this is all that's left of them…?" Yuuto muttered, pushing off the ground and standing up, holding the flask close to his chest. The flask began to shine, several figures taking shape around him. "I'm… I'm so sorry, everyone… Every day, I couldn't help but wonder if I deserved to be the one to survive…"

The other devils, the Mafiosi, Mizu, and Hyde all watched in shock at the sight as the figures began taking shape.

"Uh… What's happening?" Hyde asked.

"People…?" asked the white-haired Rook.

"That's what it looks like…" Izuku answered, unsure but awed.

"I may be wrong, but it's possible that the various powers on the battlefield…" Mizu began explaining, being absolutely serious. "…and the trembling within Yuuto's heart freed the souls from the crystal." The spirits then formed into people, some younger than others.

"I… I wasn't the one with the biggest dreams or the most heart… I wasn't the one who wanted to live the most out of any of my friends, either. I just happened to be the one closest to the exit. I would have given anything to let one of the others survive in my-"

Yuuto felt a small tug on his shirt, freezing for a moment before looking down, suddenly taking notice of the figures gathered around him. He trembled as he saw their faces, tears streaming down his face as he bit his lip. "Everyone…"

One of the souls, a little girl with brown hair, tugged on his sleeve and made him look down. She smiled at him, making him even more shocked. The souls then dissolved into shooting-star-like rays, flying all around him and making him slowly feel at ease. _"It's okay…"_ said one of the female souls to him, making him look at her.

_"__If everyone gathers together…"_ said another, now the boy looking at her.

_"__Take us in…"_ stated a male soul. Yuuto began looking at all of them, absolutely shocked and… happy.

_"__It's not scary,"_ said the little girl spirit. _"Even if there is no God…"_

_"__Even if God doesn't watch over us…"_

_"__Our hearts will always be…"_

Yuuto closed his eyes and cried, yet it was out of sheer happiness and relief. He smiled genuinely as he finished. _"One."_ The souls then dissolved into him, making him glow blue as he absorbed their spirits, finally at ease and his tears ceased.

From afar, Rias and Momo smiled warmly at the sight. Koneko was also nearing to tears, smiling a little and commenting. "It's a heartwarming sight…"

"Beautiful…" Ochako said as she, Ibara, Tsubasa, and Milia watched in tears.

Griselda smiled at what she was seeing. She then closed her eyes and put her hands together in prayer. "Go, children," she said softly. "Be at peace."

[He's done it. The Knight has peaked.] Ddraig noted.

_'__Done what?'_ Izuku mentally asked.

[Remember how I said that a Scared Gear is affected by their user's feelings? When the feelings and the wishes of the possessor does a dramatic change that it changes the flow of this world, the Sacred Gear reaches it.]

Izuku's eyes widened as he realized what this meant. "You mean he's…?"

[Yes. Yuuto has achieved Balance Breaker.]

Both Valper and Freed watched with disgusted looks on their faces. Kokabiel, on the other hand, looked on with sudden interest as he witnessed new power emerging from the young Knight.

"Aw man… this sappy bullshit is really making me hurl on the inside," Freed groaned as he rubbed his nose. "This is all giving me goosebumps. So just hurry it up so that I can cut out _your _insides with my Excalibur!" he shouted as he brandished his sword.

Yuuto didn't respond to Freed. Instead, he closed his eyes as the glow around him started to fade slowly. "My life as it is now is all because of my master. However, I still could never forget the regrets I felt when I left my friends to die, or the hatred I had for holy swords…" he opened his eyes as he looked over at his peerage. "But I made new friends, bonded with them, went on dangerous quests with them. I managed to find a new life with them. My old comrades wouldn't want me to take revenge on their behalf, however," he shot a glare at Valper. "There is no way in hell I'm letting an asshole like you come out of this alive!"

"Go get em, Yuuto! Tear Excalibur to shreds!" Izuku shouted out.

"Yeah! I don't know what that was about, but teach those asshats a lesson!" Hyde cheered.

"Yuuto!" Rias shouted over to him, "As your master, I order you to surpass Excalibur! I know you can do it!"

"Go for it, Yuuto-kun!" Momo added in encouragement.

"Fight on, Yuuto-san!" Ibara nodded.

"Yuuto-senpai!" Koneko followed.

"You can do it!" Ochako encouraged.

"Take em down, Kiba!" Tsubasa cheered.

"Go, Kiba!" Milia shouted.

Nearby, the Mafiosi mealy watched in surprise, Akutagawa being the only one indifferent to this. Though Raynare at least was glad that the devil had moved on from his past.

Valper looked unimpressed at the display of heroics. "Such naivety. Do you not realize that the key to success is to make necessary sacrifices?" He turned away from them with his hands behind his back. "Freed, end them."

The order given, Freed grinned nastily as he approached with the Excalibur dragging behind him, the blade digging through the dirt. Yuuto stood calm as his hands started to glow, his left side white and his right side black. "I am one with the sword. My friends from long ago, join me and respond to my will. Our hopes and dreams that we failed to reach before, now is the time to make them reality! Sword Birth!"

His hands grasped together as a new sword began to form from a flash of light and dark in his hands. It was a sword that gave out a divine light from its blade and an ominous aura from the red inscriptions on the middle of the blade. Holy and demonic aura could be felt from the new weapon.

"Balance Breaker: Sword of the Betrayer!" Yuuto announced as he readied his sword. "Holy attribute and demonic magic, united in a single blade! This will be your demise!"

As soon as he heard this, Valper looked at Yuuto, shock on his face. "What did you just say?"

Freed paid no mind to Valper's reaction and went on the attack. Yuuto moved in and crossed his sword against the priest's. Both young men clashed their weapons together, moving at brisk speeds. With the power of Excalibur Rapidly and Yuuto's Knight traits, both of them were moving in blurs of speed. Both of them were matching blow for blow.

"What's the matter, bucko? Having one sword waving in your face not enough for you? Well, try a BUNCH!" Freed shouted as the blade morphed and extended like a flail whip. Yuuto started to blurred all around, swiftly avoiding all the blade strikes. Freed's eyebrows started to twitch in annoyance. "Don't fuck with me, you little shit!" he yelled as he retracted the sword back to normal. A squad of Freed copies appeared again with the blades turning invisible. Both of them roared as they all charged at Yuuto.

"That's not gonna work," Yuuto frowned, "I can read your bloodlust like a book!" He rushed through all the copies without care, reaching the copy that was second to last. As soon as the copy gave a thrust, Yuuto raised his foot and slammed it down. An audible thunk was heard, and the blade of the sword phased back into reality. All the copies vanished, leaving the real Freed left in shock.

"Damn it, the hell?!" Freed shouted. He kicked Yuuto off of him, lifting his sword as he glowed in holy power. There was a problem, though. The light from the sword wasn't as strong as it was before. "Huh?"

"You're wide open!" Irina shouted, jumping up with Hauteclere in hand. As soon as she landed right beside Freed, she gave a hard swing. Freed rolled over to the side to avoid getting bisected. Xenovia came down after her with an overhead swing from her Excalibur Destruction, prompting him to jump away again. Xenovia didn't seem to be concerned as she planted her sword down next to her and extended her right hand into the air.

"St. Peter, St. Basil the Great, St. Denis, Virgin Mother… lend thine ears to hear my humble request!" Space started to distort around her as a hole appeared in front of her. Xenovia reached inside the pocket dimension and pulled out a sword, a uniquely shaped broadsword with a blue blade and a golden edge. The sword had a semi-circular guard on the left side of the handle that extended to the bottom just above the pommel, with a small extension on the right side of the handle. Standing from the tip of the blade, the sword was slightly taller than her, just by a few inches.

"In the name of the saints living in this blade… I set you free! Holy Sword Durandal!" she shouted, brandishing the sword before her.

Everyone but Irina and Griselda gasped in shock at the sight of her blade. Kokabiel even appeared startled. "She had another holy sword too?" Ochako asked in disbelief.

"Durandal?" Yuuto whispered.

"Is that another holy sword?" Izuku asked.

"It is," Rias confirmed. "Durandal is a holy sword that's said to be on par with Excalibur, able to cut everything in this world," she explained.

"Impossible! The research that the church seized from me didn't look into Durandal! I can buy someone wielding Hauteclere, but not that blade! No one should be able to use that thing!" Valper exclaimed in disbelief.

"You're wrong. Unlike Irina or Kiba, I am one of the few natural-born Holy Sword wielders. I'm capable of using any holy blade without the use of the light attribute crystals," Xenovia hoisted the large blade with ease, pointing it at Freed and smiling. "This blade is ill-tempered. Despite being mine, I can't always fully control it. It's like a wild dog that will snap without my permission at times. Carrying it alone would be dangerous, so it is stored in another dimension for safety."

"Hah! You think I'll buy that bullshit?! No way that hunk of junk can match up to my baby here!" Freed laughed, the golden blade of his fused Excalibur illuminating as it changed shape. Several long streams of metal sprouted out from the edges, shooting forward at Xenovia and the others to stab them through.

"Humph!" Xenovia merely narrowed her eyes, raising her blade and swiping out at the strands. With a single slash, Durandal cut through the blades like butter, the Stray Priest gawking at the display. "As I thought," Xenovia sighed. "You've corrupted Excalibur through your bloodlust. It's no match for Durandal."

"Are you fucking kidding me!" the mad ex-priest hissed as his blade reverted back to its original form. Once it had done so, he disappeared into a blur in an attempt to flank Xenovia and cut her down where she wasn't expecting. Unfortunately for him though, Yuuto expected this and also disappeared into a blur as he engaged Freed in combat. They fought ferociously for a few strained seconds before Yuuto's holy devil sword shattered Freed's Excalibur into pieces, knocking the insane exorcist to the ground. This time, the fused Excalibur did not revert back to its original appearance.

Freed landed on the ground with a _thud_, before sitting on his knees and glaring hatefully at Yuuto. "Are you fucking serious!? Are you really fucking serious!? The legendary Excalibur shattered into pieces!? Shattered by lame devil scum, no less! I refuse to accept it!" He drew out his gun and aimed. "I refuse to be defeated by-!"

_*SHINK!*_

Freed screamed in pain, dropping his gun as a black blade pierced his arm. He glared hatefully at the one responsible, Akutagawa. Akutagawa gave a small smirk, as if mocking the rogue exorcist.

"You son of a bi-!"

More black blades pierced Freed's body, lifting him in the air for a brief moment before they retracted back to Akutagawa.

"Now play dead, like the mad dog you are," Akutagawa commented.

Yuuto gave a victorious grin, "We did it! We finally surpassed Excalibur!" The adrenaline was still pumping through him as victory continued to sink in. His goal, after all this time, was fulfilled.

"A sword that uses both holy and demonic power…?" Valper whispered in disbelief. "That can't be possible… to think that both opposite forces would be united in such a way…"

Looking forward, Yuuto glared at the source of all the tragedy he had to endure, pointing his sword at the Genocidal Archbishop. "You're next, Valper Galilei… I hope you're prepared."

"Of course! It all makes sense now!" Valper exclaimed, not even responding to Yuuto, who began to approach him. "Holy and demonic… now I understand! This is the result of the balance between good and evil being shattered! In which case, not only the Devil Kings but also God-!"

Not wasting any time, Yuuto quickly sped to Valper. With a single slash, he bisected the Genocide Bishop at the waist. Valper's eyes trembled as he looked at Yuuto, dying within seconds as the blond knight looked down at him with a look of satisfaction.

"With this… I can be free," Yuuto, taking a deep breath, flicked his blade to the side, ridding it of the man's blood.

"Yuuto-san, are you okay?" Izuku asked.

"…Yes, but not because I was able to kill him," Yuuto admitted, looking up at Izuku and the others with a smile. "It's because I was reunited with my friends that I feel this way. Thank you, Izuku. You and everyone else."

Izuku smiled and nodded.

"No time to celebrate yet," Mizu reminded everyone, glaring up at the Cadre above.

"That certainly was amusing," Kokabiel smirked. "It's impressive that Valper came to that deduction. But his usefulness has come to an end." He rose up from his throne and slowly descended down. The unconventional allied group steeled themselves for a fight against the Cadre.

"Well done, all of you," Kokabiel praised, the grass underneath him folding under his feet as he touched the ground. "That was certainly quite the show. Now, Red Dragon Emperor, transfer your increased power to someone. I don't care who. Hurry up and do it."

"Are you saying you're giving us a chance? Don't be ridiculous!" Rias proclaimed.

"You're the one being ridiculous if you honestly think you can take me on like that," Kokabiel remarked. "You'll need all the power you can get if you want to stop me."

"What do we do now?" Izuku asked.

Rias glared at Kokabiel. As much as she hated that Cadre's arrogance she couldn't afford to waste any more time. She grabbed hold on Izuku's right hand and squeezed it tight. Izuku blushed in reflex. "We don't have much time left. Izuku, transfer the power to me."

Izuku nodded. "Okay. Here it goes…"

**[Transfer!]**

Rias gave a soft gasp as she felt the sudden rush of energy flow into her, her power rising to a much higher scale than she could have hoped for. Green light illuminated around her body, gaining every last drop from Izuku's boosted power in one moment.

Once she had absorbed all of the power into her body, her entire body radiated pure, demonic energy, covered by the green aura from the Boosted Gear, the very space around her began to shake from the enormous power she now wielded.

Kokabiel didn't seem fazed by Rias' sudden increase in power. In fact, he seemed to find it amusing. "Come on, sister of the Lucifer Satan! Show me what your combined might is capable of!" Kokabiel dared as he stretched out his arms to paint a target on himself.

* * *

**AN: Man, this took forever. A lot happened that helped delayed this. I'm so glad I managed to finish this chapter. Valper's officially dead, and Freed may be dead. Now the unlikely group of the Gremory Peerage, Tsubasa, Milia, Mafiosi, and Hyde have to face Kokabiel.**

**Until then, stay safe and stay healthy. See you next time. Go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!**


	31. Deus mortuus est

**_(My Hero Academia OST - Runaway Battle)_**

"Come on, sister of the Lucifer Satan! Show me what your combined might is capable of!" Kokabiel dared as he stretched out his arms to paint a target on himself.

Rias growled and took to the air, the wind pressure building around her intensifying as several large red magic circles formed at her sides. Large black balls of Destruction energy concentrated at the center, rippling with power.

With a yell, the black bolts blasted forth, forming together and simulating the head of the dragon that birthed such power. Kokabiel continued to laugh, holding his arms forward and taking the brunt of the attack head-on.

"Yes, yes! This is what I've been looking for! I dare say this even compares to what your brother is capable of!"

"JUST SHUT UP AND DIIIIIE!" Rias roared, willing more of her power forward into her attack. Despite her best efforts, Kokabiel was able to deflect the energy. As Rias exerted herself, she suddenly felt the power boost begin to fade, her body feeling weak as her attack ended. With nothing left to give, Rias felt light-headed, unable to sustain her flight as she began to fall toward the ground.

"Rias!" Izuku cried out, spreading his wings and flying up to his master. He caught her in his arms, making sure she wouldn't hit the ground.

"It was a good effort, Rias Gremory! I will praise your strong will!" Kokabiel laughed, grinning down at the group as he made the gap between him and them painfully clear.

"Then how about this?!"

Everyone looked up to see Momo hovering above him, electricity crackling from her fingertip as she focused her energy.

"Momo, no! He's too powerful!" Rias called out, watching her queen in fear.

Their protests fell on deaf ears, Momo unleashing a powerful torrent of lightning at Kokabiel. The Fallen Angel Cadre merely smirked, wrapping himself in his raven wings to block the attack.

"Well, well. I see you do have some of Baraqiel in you, after all."

"Do not speak his name!" Momo exclaimed, eyes lighting up in anger as she poured more energy into her attack, her pupils turning into slits. "I AM NOTHING LIKE THAT CREATURE!"

"Baraqiel? Who's that?" Izuku asked, sweat trailing down his brow as he witnessed Momo's rage.

"A Fallen Angel leader, like Kokabiel. He's known for his great control of Holy Lightning. I can see that they use similar power, but what would Baraqiel have to do with a Devil?" Xenovia explained, brow hardening in wonder as she looked up at Momo.

Momo finally ceased her attack, her breath bated as she exhausted a good portion of her energy. "Not even a dent…" She muttered, glaring at Kokabiel despite herself.

"I must admit, I'm quite curious as to how you became a Devil. Why would you fall so low as to become one?" Kokabiel chuckled, smirking at Momo as he crossed his arms. "It seems both you and your brother have a penchant of having outcasts in your group, Rias Gremory: The Red Dragon Emperor, a former Holy Maiden, a ruined Holy Sword Project reject, and Baraqiel's estranged daughter!"

Momo gasped in horror as all of her friends turned to her in shock.

"What?!" Yuuto gasped.

"Seriously!?" Ravel gaped.

"Momo-senpai…" Koneko whispered.

"Say what?!" Ochako asked.

"What…?" Ibara stuttered.

"Momo…" Izuku looked to her.

"Momo is it true?!" Rias called to her Queen. "You're father's a fallen angel?!"

Momo didn't respond as her pupils returned to normal. She wanted to face them but was afraid to do so.

"What? You didn't know?" Kokabiel laughed. "That's fucking hilarious! You've allowed yourself to fall so far by becoming a devil and yet you never told your master your true heritage?" He laughed at Momo.

This enraged Rias and she pushed herself away from Izuku's hold. "Anyone who slanders my brother or my servants is someone who deserves total annihilation!" She exclaimed.

"Really? You honestly think you can stop me, the ancient enemy of the devils?" Kokabiel smirked. "You truly are a proud bunch. How about you show me more of that bravado of yours?"

"Gladly!" Xenovia shouted before rushing at him, both Yuuto and Irina close behind her. A pair of light swords flashed into Kokabiel's hands as soon as they got up close to him. He blocked strikes from both Yuuto and Irina with each of his swords. Xenovia tried to cleave through him in the front with Durandal, but he caught the blade with his foot before she could reach his chest.

"So that's Durandal," Kokabiel remarked, not looking all that concerned that the blades were only inches from his face. "It is a remarkable holy sword. Had we have taken all of the Excaliburs it would have been a sight to see it against the fully reforged Excalibur!" He shoved his foot out, knocking Durandal to the air and shoving a kick into her stomach. Xenovia hacked as she was knocked backward. He twisted his light swords around, pushing both Yuuto and Irina off of his sides.

Irina rebounded back on the ground and lunged again, rushing around from behind and trying to get a strike from behind the back. He casually somersaulted over her as her sword sliced through the air. He pirouetted in midair to look down at the exorcist as she looked up and gaped.

Kokabiel brought his wings forward, swinging them directly at Irina with great force, sending her toward the tree line, the Hauteclere landing further away.

"I expected more from the current wielder of Hauteclere," Kokabiel spat. "But it appears you're still a novice with that blade."

"Rashomon!" Kokabiel turned and saw two black maws rushing toward him. Smirking, Kokabiel raised his hands and blocked the attack, though it did force him back some feet. _'He stopped it with his bare hands?!'_

Kokabiel then took hold of the Rashomon and pulled, pulling Akutagawa as well. Kokabiel swung the Rabid Dog in the air before throwing him back down. "I expected more from the Port Mafia's Rabid Dog. Now, where's that little traitorous Raynare?"

"Right here!" Raynare threw a spear of light straight at Kokabiel's face. But the Cadre mealy lifted his hand and block the spear with his pinkie.

"You disappoint me, _daughter_," he stressed the last word, causing Raynare's eyes to widen in shock. "But you can still redeem yourself," Kokabiel's features had turned pleasant. "Kill Rias Gremory. Do that and you will be back in my good graces once again."

He could practically smell her fear of him. See her shaking. But her eyes were ones of defiance. That meant only one thing. "I see. So you have chosen death." Taking the spear of light Raynare had thrown, Kokabiel threw it back.

Raynare, still in a stupor from what Kokabiel said, barley could avoid her own spear, it scraping her arm as she moved away.

Raynare, shaking off the pain, smirked and quickly jumped back, confusing Kokabiel.

_*BANG! BANG!*_

Kokabiel reached quickly by opening his wings and deflected Higuchi's bullets. The blond Mafioso continued to fire at him, but all shots fire bounced off the black wings.

"Come now," said the Fallen Angel. "You can't be serious."

**KA-BOOM!**

A giant explosion of plasma went off underneath the Cadre's feet. Mizu, her hands shaking from the attack, huffed in exhaustion. She was sure that she at least injured him.

"That was a good one."

Mizu's blood ran cold when she heard Kokabiel right behind her. Grinning evilly at the back of her head. He attempted to backhand her, but Mizu instinctively created a magic circle to block it.

"Hmm, not bad," Kokabiel grinned. "You certainly are the Sorcerer Supreme's apprentice."

_*Bash!*_

Kokabiel felt something hard hit him in the back of the head. Taking this chance Mizu jumped away as Kokabiel turned in annoyance. Several meters behind him, Tsubasa stood, her arm having a metallic appearance, lifting a large piece of rubble, and threw it at Kokabiel.

Scoffing, Kokabiel backhanded the thrown bolder with ease. "Really?" Kokabiel sneered. "I am a Cadre of the Fallen Angels! Do you really think you can beat me by throwing rocks, devil?"

"It's called a 'distraction', smart guy," Tsubasa smirked.

"For this," Koneko muttered emotionlessly, rushing in from out of nowhere and landing a slug on Kokabiel's face. The blow from the two almost backed him an inch slightly, nearly twisting his neck. He let out a small grunt before landing a returning blow on her… with a spear of light shooting through Koneko.

"Koneko-chan!" Ochako cried as Koneko gasped, blood escaped from her mouth.

"Weak!" Kokabiel yelled before blasting the two away. Koneko rocketed across the field before slamming into Tsubasa.

"Ochako! Koneko-chan! Yura-san!" Izuku called.

"We got them!" Ravel said, she and Ibara already rushing to their side.

"Stopra!" Ochako casted a spell, causing Kokabiel to freeze in place. "Takamaki!"

Milia nodded and rushed in, her claws extended. The girl was about to slash at Kokabiel when the Cadre started moving again. He blocked Milia's attack with a Spear of Light with ease. "Nice try!" He then swung his Spear of Light and hit her with enough force to knock her back, crashing into Ochako.

"Hey, ugly!"

Kokabiel turned his head towards the direction of the voice, and saw Hyde, the Insulator pointed at him. A blast of energy fried from the blade, trapping Kokabiel. "Gah! What is-?" Kokabiel didn't finish his sentence, noticing Hyde's Insulator gathering dark energy as he raised it into the air before delivering a downward slash.

"RAGING ROAR!"

A massive arch of red and black power raced towards Kokabiel at great speeds.

* * *

From outside the barrier, Kyoka watched as the Sitri and Dantalion's peerages beginning to struggle keeping the dome up when suddenly…

_*BREAK!*_

Red and black energy broke out, the protective barrier starting to break and fall apart like shattering glass.

The devil's all cried out in shock, some were thrown off their feet by the sudden attack. "What the hell was that?!" Kyoka exclaimed.

* * *

_*Thud!*_

Hyde slumped to the ground, exhausted from his attack. "Did it… work?" He huffed out. Looking to where Kokabiel stood… there wasn't much of anything left. The ground, a nearby tree, even part of the main building, had been obliterated by Hyde's attack.

"I admit, _that_ one actually had me worried."

Hyde gasped in shock, looking up. There Kokabiel floated up in the air, still alive, having managed to free himself somehow at the last second. Though there was some consolation. Kokabiel's left arm was gone, replaced by a bloody stump. But he also had a look that was a mix of being utterly _pissed_, and _very_ excited.

"It's been millennia since anyone's damaged me this much. You should be commended… after I end your life and claim that blade as my own-"

Two arrows suddenly pierced Kokabiel's back, casing the Cadre to groan in pain as he turned to the one responsible: Griselda. "That won't be happening."

Kokabiel's glare turned into an amused smirk. "Oh? You may be an exorcist, but do you really think you can defeat me with only a bow and some arrows? Speaking of, I must ask, why the change in weaponry. You were such a promising holy sword user, even a potential candidate for one of the Excalibur's from what I heard, but then you started using a bow," Kokabiel smirked. "Don't tell me that your time with Lailah was the reason? You were tortured by her hands and now you can't even wield a blade?" He guessed. "How utterly pathetic!"

"Don't you dare talk about Griselda that way!" Xenovia exclaimed, suddenly dashing at Kokabiel with Durandal reared back for a slash.

"Xenovia, don't!" Griselda cried out in fear.

"Ho-ho~! Struck a nerve, have I?" Kokabiel grinned again, a light spear forming in his remaining hand. "But I suppose a churchgoer like you would need someone to rely on with their master gone!" Before Xenovia could get close enough, Kokabiel sent the spear forward, forcing her to block again and pushing her back several meters. She slashed through the attack but fell to one knee out of exhaustion.

"So powerful…"

"But what he just said…" Yuuto muttered, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"What are you talking about, Kokabiel?" Irina demanded, standing up and glaring at the Fallen Angel. "What do you mean by our master being gone?"

"Uh oh. Did that slip? That's supposed to be a secret," Kokabiel hummed in amusement, placing a hand on his face. Despite his weak efforts, Kokabiel began to break out in laughter, deciding not to contain himself. "Oh, what's the harm in it? After all, I'm planning to start a war anyway! I might as well enlighten you all about what really happened during the Great War!"

"What are you talking about?!" Rias said this time, walking up next to Griselda.

"The truth is…" a smirk plastered on Kokabiel's face. "God is dead. It wasn't just the four original Satans who perished at the end of the war. God was killed as well."

The group stood in dead silence at the news, especially the ones who were connected to the Church. The only one who didn't seem shocked at all was Akutagawa. "He… He's dead…?" Xenovia whispered, nearly dropping her sword in shock.

"That can't be true…" Irina nearly screamed, "No… you're lying! There's no way He's dead!"

"It's that very reaction you both currently have that made the Church considered not telling even their own exorcists," Kokabiel replied. "The angel faction lost so many high-level angels and pure ones can no longer produce. Even pure-blooded devils are just as rare, right? More than half of the 72 pillars have ceased to be. And fallen angels have to increase their numbers by having remnant angels fall. That's why all three sides have to rely on humans to survive! If humans found out, they would lose faith! And the factions are completely dependent on humanity. They each need humans to continue surviving, especially now more than ever!"

"No, it has to be a lie… Take that back! That can't be the truth, Kokabiel!" Xenovia exclaimed, rage suddenly replacing her shock as she pointed Durandal at the Fallen Angel. "You have to be lying!"

"He's telling the truth." All shocked eyes turned to Mizu, who stood eerily still, her gaze toward Kokabiel. "All members of Kamar-Taj are told this once they complete their training as a sort of final test, to gauge how they handle a truth like this."

Griselda, who was perhaps the most collected of the exorcists, weakly nodded. "I… knew as well… because of Lailah…" she growled.

"And yet you still serve the Church who has hidden this truth from even their own exorcists?" Kokabiel mockingly asked. "Keep in mind that I don't give a damn about any of that," Kokabiel's face twisted in anger as his fist shock, an angry holy aura surrounding him. "What really pisses me off is that after God and those Satans died, the remains of the three Biblical Factions decided to end the war right then! Are you kidding me?! How dare they keep me from squashing my enemies just when it was getting fun! We were so close to winning! Even that bastard Azazel declared that there would be no second Great War! _WHAT THE FUCK!?_"

"If the Lord is gone," Ibara whispered meekly. "Then the love and the answered prayers we received from Him… where do they come from?"

Kokabiel sighed as his aura vanished and looked into the sky. "Michael is doing a fine job managing the system. But one angel can only do so much on his own."

Irina's eyes widened. "The Archangel Michael is acting as God's messenger? Then… what about us?"

"As long as the system continues to work and there are a sufficient amount of followers, things like prayers and exorcisms will continue to work as intended, even without the influence of God," Kokabiel explained. "Valper seemed to have understood it from the moment he saw the Sword of Betrayer. A sword capable of using holy and demonic power, two elements that naturally opposed one another. A contradictory miracle like that could only happen if the leaders of both opposing sides were no longer in power, which confirms that God is not with us any longer."

The revelation of it all seemed too much for Ibara to handle. She fainted right there on the spot. Ochako went to her side and grabbed the shell shocked nun before she hit the ground, "Ibara! Ibara, wake up!" the Rook pleaded.

Xenovia watched as Ochako tried to shake Ibara back to her senses, a pitiful look entering her eyes. _'I can't blame her… for someone who continued to believe in God even after becoming a devil, this discovery is nearly impossible for her to take. I can't quite believe it myself,'_ she thought to herself bitterly. _'It's ironic. Just the other day I tried to take her head because I believed a devil who followed God's teachings was blasphemous, but after everything I've learned, I now understand and even sympathize with her.'_

"I suppose the drastic decline in the number of human believers hasn't helped things, does it?" Kokabiel continued. "Without someone like God to watch over the system, the balance between Good and Evil has been ignored in parts… thus allowing something contradictory like the holy devil sword to exist. That's why the war _must_ continue… and I'll ensure it does by taking your head, Rias Gremory!"

Rias was trembling and struggling to keep herself together. "It's my fault," she muttered, suddenly drawing attention to herself. "I… I really was too prideful. Mizu… Momo… you were both right. We… we all may die here because of-"

_*Slap!*_

Without warning, Izuku cut her off by slapping her. Every devil of Rias' peerage, as well as Tsubasa, Milia, and Hyde, went white eye at seeing this, while the exorcists, Mizu, and the Mafiosi looked on in surprise. Kokabiel, meanwhile, chuckled in amusement at the unexpected event. Rias herself couldn't process what happened for a couple of seconds, her eyes turning to look at Izuku in shock.

"Don't give up, Rias," Izuku told her. "Whether God's dead or not doesn't matter. What does is that we're here now. The world kept moving without Him, right? It's our duty to both Him and everyone else to make sure it does."

"The Welsh Dragon is correct," Akutagawa spoke up. "I never really believed in God to begin with, so such words have no meaning over me. What matters now is wining this fight."

"Izuku…" Rias whispered, rubbing her cheek.

Kokabiel laughed, "So the current Red Dragon Emperor believes that the world can move on without God?"

"It has. The world continues to move on without God even now," Izuku replied. "But you don't care about that, do you?" Izuku glared at the Cadre. "This isn't about God or the old Satans at all. You're nothing more than some petty villain throwing a tantrum because he didn't get what he wanted."

"Tch, how cute," Kokabiel sneered. "Very well… Then show me this conviction of yours so that I may shatter it!" Kokabiel's smirk instantly vanished from his face, a fierce snarl replacing it when he realized that Izuku had vanished.

_'__He's fast!'_ Kokabiel noted. Suddenly, a sharp pain echoed through his head.

"DRAGON SMASH!"

Kokabiel screeched from Izuku's attack as he clutched his nose, which was now broken.

"Nice one, Midoriya!" Hyde cheered.

"I expected nothing less from a hero," Ravel smiled.

"Get that bastard, Izuku!" Milia cheered.

"Izuku-san really is amazing," Momo nodded with a light blush. _'Kyoka, Rias, I'm sorry… but I'm starting to fall for him, too.'_

"They're right," Rias said with confidence. "What's important now is that we haven't lost this battle yet. We can't give up. Let's take Izuku's lead, everyone!"

"Hai!"

Kokabiel rose back to his feet, his nose having already been pushed back into position, though blood still streaked down his face. He glanced at Izuku and couldn't help but release another dark chuckle, his wings spreading out behind him. "First a lowly human takes my arm, and now a low-ranking devil manages to reach my face. Both feats are damn near impossible! I find this interesting! _Very_ interesting!" he chuckled darkly.

"Hahaha. So do I," a new voice called out from above the field.

Kokabiel scowled as he looked up to the sky. "Who's there?" he demanded just as a powerful magical attack hit the roof of the protective dome, causing it to quickly disintegrate into nothingness, shocking everyone present. The only ones capable of doing that with such ease had to be as strong or stronger than Kokabiel.

The light quickly diminished, revealing a completely white armored being. In composition and design, it looked fairly similar to when Izuku used his balance breaker Scale Mail. The only difference was it was white with blue gems rather than red and green. It also has wings, each illuminated the night with blue energy.

Hyde, Ochako, Tsubasa, Milia, and Momo all quickly recognized the resemblance it had to the armor Izuku had during the USJ. "That looks like that armor Midoriya had!" Hyde said.

"But… it's white. And has wings," Tsubasa pointed out.

Milia quickly glanced over to Izuku and saw that he was shaking. "Midoriya-kun?"

The others quickly noticed Izuku shaking as well. "Izuku, what's wrong?" Rias asked in worry.

"My body… just started shaking…" Izuku stuttered. The moment Izuku laid eyes on the armored person, an unknown fear and nervousness suddenly ran throughout his body. "Is that… the White One?!"

"Why is the Vanishing Dragon here?" Kokabiel demanded. "If you're here because you were captivated by the Welsh Dragon then you'll have to wai-" Before Kokabiel could finish his statement the mysterious figure dove down at the fallen angel and ripped off two pairs of his black wings. The fallen angel howled in pain as his wings were pulled from his back.

"Your wings remind me of a filthy crow," a male voice called out from underneath the helmet. "Azazel's wings are darker, deeper… like everlasting darkness."

"You bastard!" Kokabiel seethed as he reached behind himself to feel the stumps of where his wings had once been. "What the fuck do you think you're trying to do?"

"Someone who's fallen lower than the ground hardly needs wings, do they?" the Vanishing Dragon sneered as he stared down at the fallen angel.

Kokabiel seethed and launched himself into the air with his last remaining wings and proceeded to create the single largest spear of light yet, easily seven times the size of the one he had used to obliterate the gym earlier.

As Kokabiel was about to throw the humongous spear at the armored figure, he brought his hand up just as the air in front of him began to shimmer.

**(Divide!)**

The spear instantly began to shrink, being reduced to nothing within a few seconds. "What have you done!?" Kokabiel demanded as he felt his strength escaping his body.

"His name is Albion. One of the powers of my Sacred Gear is 'divine dividing'. Every ten-seconds it cuts the power of whatever it's touching in half and sustains me with that power."

"Divides?" Izuku repeated. It was the opposite of his own Sacred Gear.

"You better hurry or you won't be able to defeat a Quirkless human," the Vanishing Dragon taunted. "If you're still bored, I can make this a bit more fun…" The Vanishing Dragon disappeared from sight and went towards Kokabiel while creating tracks of light.

His fist went deep into Kokabiel's stomach. Kokabiel's body bent a lot and he vomited blood. He didn't even have a trace left of the overwhelming opponent from before. "…Im…Impossible… I…"

"I was told by Azazel to take you back by force if necessary even if it took all of my power. Though it appears I won't need even _half_ of it." The Vanishing Dragon then took Kokabiel, rocketed upwards, before falling back down at great speeds, pushing the Fallen Angel in front of him.

"AZAZEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLL!" Kokabiel bellowed out to the heavens, as he went down.

***BOOM!***

The collision to the ground caused a crater to form that sent out a shock wave. Then, the magic circle created and used by Valper rose into the air before disappearing. When the dust cleared, the Vanishing Dragon was standing in the center of the crater. Kokabiel, the great Fallen Angel who had 10 wings, was put on his shoulder. Defeated.

"Holy shit…" Hyde muttered, he and everyone else shocked at how easily the Vanishing Dragon defeated the fallen angel, where the most any of them could do was scratch him.

"I suppose I should collect Freed as well. Assuming he's still alive, there are a few things we need to ask him. After that, we'll look for that rouge angel." He flew out of the hole, landing right in front of the downed priest, picking him up effortlessly.

**[Are you ignoring me, White One?]** Ddraig said, allowing everyone present to hear him.

"The dragon hand talked?!" Raynare gasped, as the Vanishing Dragon turned towards the boy after getting his attention.

**(So you've awoken, Red One?)** A disembodied voice spoke from the Vanishing Dragon's wings.

**[I've been wondering when we'll meet again.]**

**(As have I. We're still fated to fight eventually, but not today. I don't sense the usual hostility from you…)**

**[Likewise. It seems that we both have other things on our minds other than fighting.]**

**(Indeed. Just let me enjoy myself for a while longer. It's not so bad to take a break now and then. We'll meet again, Ddraig.)**

**[I'm looking forward to it. Another time, Albion.]**

Both of them gave their farewell, and the White Dragon Emperor prepared to leave.

"Wait!" Izuku shouted, catching his attention. "Who are you?"

The Vanishing Dragon just stared at him in silence for a few seconds before answering. "You'll need even more power if you want to understand. Keep getting stronger, my rival. While Albion may not be keen to fight the Red Dragon Emperor, I, on the other hand, can hardly contain myself. We will fight one day and I hope you make a worthy opponent."

As he said that, a bright white light slowly engulfed him and the other two. When it disappeared, their mysterious savior had vanished into thin air.

Everyone present stared at where the Vanishing Dragon stood, as well as the destroyed school field in silence until it was broken by the arrival of Sona, Kudelia, their peerages, and Kyoka.

"Momo!" Kyoka called, running up to her girlfriend. "You okay?"

"No…" Momo shook her head. "They know…"

"Rias!" Sona called out as she and Kudelia came to a stop near her fellow king.

"Sona, Kudelia," Rias called back as she looked around to see the group of devils beside her.

"You okay?" Kudelia asked.

"Still alive, if a bit shaken," Rias replied.

Sona looked past Rias, at the spot where the Vanishing Dragon had just disappeared with her arms crossed under her chest. "I wonder why the White Dragon Emperor suddenly showed up out of the blue like that."

"I wonder if he realized he just saved the city," Rias replied with a small smile on her face.

"Hey, what happened to those Port Mafia guys?" Hyde asked. Sure enough, Raynare, Higuchi, and Akutagawa all vanished.

* * *

Several blocks away, Raynare, Akutagawa, and Higuchi, all wearing disguises, walked casually towards the train station. As the battle was over, they left as soon as the Vanishing Dragon did. It would've been bad for three members of the Poet mafia to be caught on a hero school's campus, let alone U.A.'s. Higuchi was currently on the phone, talking with a superior, trailing behind Akutagawa.

"Akutagawa, I couldn't help but noticed you deliberately tried to avoid killing the devils and exorcists," Raynare said. "How come?"

"The boss gave me explicit orders to only attempt to kill those responsible for the thefts," Akutagawa answered. "He wished to avoid any unnecessary conflict with the devils and church."

Raynare nodded. Her thoughts quickly returned to Kokabiel. specifically, what he said. _'There's no way. He lied. There's no way he's…'_

* * *

"Is that Kido Hyde?" Kudelia asked. "What's he doing here?"

As Rias explained to Sona and Kudelia what happened, Tsubaki turned her head towards where Yuuto was standing. She saw how deep in thought he was. Then a strange feeling entered her heart that was telling her to go to him. Was it pity or sympathy? The Queen couldn't tell, but she started to walk towards him.

"Kiba-kun?" The blonde Knight was brought out of his thoughts and turned towards the direction of the voice, seeing that it was Tsubaki. "Are you okay?" she asked, retaining her stoic look.

Yuuto was silent for a moment, before looking at his Holy-Demonic Sword. "I was just thinking…It's finally finished. Even if someone intruded, this town's safe," he said. He didn't know why, but he started to just speak of everything on his mind to Tsubaki. "But then I think it hasn't ended yet… Because there was someone who took over Valper's research at the Vatican headquarters. When I confront that person, what will I do with this Holy-Demonic Sword… I still don't know…"

Just then a hand was placed on his shoulder, making Yuuto gasp lightly when he saw who it was. It was Tsubaki, who was giving him something she rarely gave anyone: a smile. Smile met to comfort him. "Let's not worry about the complicated stuff for now," she said. "For now, you can say that it ended for now, right? Besides, when you cross that bridge, you'll have your friends," Tsubaki then turned around and walked away towards her group.

Yuuto was left there to stare at her with widened eyes. He never told anyone, but he's always found the young bespectacled woman to be very beautiful. Sure, there was Rias, one of the most gorgeous girls in the school, but Yuuto always found himself staring at Tsubaki. And just a rare smile was enough to make him smile too.

Nearby, Irina sat on the ground. Kokabiel was gone, Valper's dead, and Freed may be dead, but she didn't feel like celebrating. God is dead. And worst of all she learned that both Him and the Church she served aren't as kind as she always believed. She just wanted to sit there and cry until she died.

"Rinchan?"

Looking up, Irina saw Izuku standing next to her, a concerned look on his face. "Zuku."

"Are you… okay?" He asked.

Irina shook her head. "No. I'm not," she said. "God is dead, Zuku. I spent my whole life devoted to him, and now I can't help but feel it was all for nothing. I don't know what to do now." She began to cry.

Izuku watched for a moment, seeing the utterly devastated look on her face. He needed to do something. Gently, he placed his free hand on her cheek and wiped away a tear, getting her attention.

"I… can't exactly say for certain, but I don't think God would want to see you cry," he said, wincing at the mention of God. "If anything, He would want you to live on."

"Live… on… for Him…?" She muttered.

Izuku nodded with a soft smile.

Irina couldn't help but smile back with a slight blush. "You're right," she said. "Humanity has done many terrible things in God's name, but we've also done plenty of good in His name as well," she stood back up. "You may be a devil now, Zuku, but you're my hero!"

Izuku reflexively blushed. "T-Thanks,' he chuckled nervously. "Oh, and here," Izuku handed out the Hauteclere to Irina.

"Thanks, Zuku. It would've been bad if I-" Irina then realized something. Izuku was holding onto the Hauteclere, a holy sword that can only be touched by those with a pure heart. And Izuku was actually touching the blade with no ill effect. That meant Izuku, a devil now, had a pure heart!

"Uh, Rinchan, is everything okay?" Izuku asked, worried by the sudden blank look on her face.

"Huh, wha, I'm fine!" Irina replied. She took hold of Hauteclere. "But are you okay?"

"Hm. Yeah. Why?"

"…It's nothing," Irina said. "I should go check up on Xenovia and Griselda."

"Okay," Izuku nodded. "Talk to you later."

"Yeah," Irina nodded before she walked over to where Griselda and Xenovia were.

Griselda was already in the process of collecting the shattered fragments. Xenovia, though, was watching the Gremory peerage talking amongst themselves before she noticed Irina walking over to them. "How are you feeling?" The blue-haired exorcist asked her partner.

"Much better now," Irina answered.

"That's a relief," Xenovia smiled. "Your faith is stronger than mine, so I was worried about you."

"Well, good thing you don't have anything to worry about!" Irina smiled back.

"Good to see you two are okay," said Griselda as she gathered the broken Excalibur pieces. "Kokabiel has been defeated and the Excalibur pieces have been recovered… but…" Griselda muttered, dread overcoming her. "I don't believe everything is over for us just yet."

"Yes. What we learned was… quite damning," Xenovia muttered, a crestfallen expression coloring her face. "What do we do, Griselda?"

"…For now, let's finish collecting the Excalibur pieces, Valper's body, and his research. We'll make our report to headquarters tomorrow. It's been a long night."

"How are we going to get Valper's body back to the Vatican?" Irina asked. "Last I checked, dead bodies aren't exactly flight friendly."

"You can leave that to me," Mizu walked up to the exorcists. "I can arrange for Valper's body to be transported to the Vatican without drawing any unwanted attention. You three can even stay at my place for the night if you want."

"Buchou, everyone, thank you… Thank you all for your support."

Yuuto bowed in front of Rias and the rest of the Occult Research Club. After Rias had sorted out what was to be done with Mizu, Kudelia, and Sona, Yuuto gathered everyone up to express his gratitude.

"Yuuto," the blond Knight looked at Rias and saw her welcoming smile. "I'm glad you've decided to return. Also to reach Balance Breaker. As your master, I am proud."

Yuuto then kneeled down on one knee, with his head low. "…Rias. I… To everyone in the club… Most of all, I betrayed you who saved my life once… I can't find the words to express my apology…"

Rias went to him and kneeled down, and then patted his cheek with her hand, comforting him like she always did. "But you have returned. That is enough for me. You can't waste the feelings of your comrades."

"Buchou… I will promise you once again. I, Kiba Yuuto, will protect you and my comrades for the rest of my life as the Knight of Rias Gremory's group."

"Ufufufu. Thank you. Now, onto your punishment…" Despite Rias' smile, a magic circle formed in her palm, causing Yuuto to flinch. "I'd say that's a thousand spanks you've earned."

"Wh-What?" Yuuto coughed, recoiling as he failed to hide his fear.

"Before that, though," the magic circle in Rias' hand disappeared, her eyes wandering to Momo. "There's something vital we need to discuss."

Momo fidgeted from the look Rias, along with everyone else, gave her.

* * *

Later, the ORC stood gathered in their club room. All of them were stood or sat quietly, their eyes all on Momo, who stood on the opposite side of the room, Kyoka standing with her.

"Momo, all we want is the truth," Rias began. "Are you really the daughter of one of the Fallen Angel leaders?"

Momo hesitated to answer, not even bothering to look up at her friends. Kyoka gently took hold of the mature-looking girl's hand reassuringly. Momo briefly looked to her for a moment before nodding. "Yes… I'm the half-breed daughter of the Fallen Angel leader Baraqiel and a human," she said in a sad and depressing tone. The group's reactions were mixed.

"Have… any of you heard of the Vermilion Hero, Creati?"

"I have," Izuku said, surprising no one. "She was a pro hero who could make anything for any situation…" he trailed off, realizing something. "Don't tell me…"

Momo nodded in confirmation. "She was my mother, Yaoyorozu Shuri, though she was born Himejima Shuri."

"Himejima?" Rias repeated. "Wait, as in the Himejima Clan? One of the Five Great Families who are blessed with the power of the Vermilion Bird?!"

"Yes," Momo confirmed. "She was exiled for becoming a hero instead of following the clan's traditions, which is why she changed her name," Momo smiled fondly at the memory of her mother before she continued. "One day, she came upon a wounded fallen angel and nursed him back to health. She did her job well. They fell in love. And soon enough, I came along."

Momo then expanded her wings. Everyone gasped in shock at what they saw.

There were two wings, but it was different from the usual two wings of Devils Momo normally had. The right one was that of a Devil, while the left one was the black wing of a Fallen Angel.

"Those wings!" Ochako gasped.

"I know. One from a devil, one from a fallen angel. Signs of my heritage I tried to hide. I hated my wings so much that I asked Rias to become a devil just to get rid of them, just to spite my father, but it just resulted in a sad and disgusting mix of both wings, something I didn't realize until later," Momo's wings receded.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Yuuto asked.

"She wanted to, okay," Kyoka shot at him.

"Wait, Kyoka-san, you knew?" Ibara asked.

"Yeah," Kyoka nodded. "Her mom and mine were friends growing up. About a year after Momo's mom died, my family took her in."

"I wanted to tell you, all or you, for so long," Momo continued. "But you all hate fallen angels, correct? Izuku and Ibara especially," the two mentioned devils fidgeted uncomfortably when she said that. "I mean, who wouldn't after what they did to you two. It isn't hard to imagine what you think of them," she said sadly with a sullen expression on her face.

"You're wrong."

Momo looked to Izuku with wide eyes.

"I admit, after everything I don't like fallen angels," Izuku said. "But that doesn't mean that I hate all fallen angels."

"Yes," Ibara nodded. "You're not like Raynare or Kokabiel, Momo-san. We can tell."

"You're a bird, but I like you," said Koneko.

"I'm not part of the peerage, so I don't have any real say in this," Ravel said. "But I am glad you've opened up about this."

"There's no way we'll hate you, Momo," said Ochako.

"Right," Yuuto nodded.

"I understand why you didn't tell us, but the fact is that you violated my trust by keeping this secret," Rias said sternly before she gave a gentle smile. "But I am willing to look pass it."

Momo was flabbergasted. She had honestly thought they hate her for hiding her heritage. Instead… they understood and accepted her regardless. Tears starting forming in her eyes before she started crying, embracing the closest members; Izuku and Rias.

Izuku, of course, blushed at the fact a girl, a crying girl no less, was hugging him, while Rias returned the hug.

Once she finished, Momo started to wipe away her tears. "I'm so sorry for keeping this secret. I promise to make it up to all of you however I can."

"Good. You still need to earn back my trust, Momo," Rias said. "You can start by helping me deliver Yuuto's punishment," she sweetly added.

Yuuto flinched in fear.

It wasn't long before Yuuto was bent over and Rias began spanking him. Yuuto managed to put up a smile, albeit a pained smile, during most of it, though it started to crack when Rias got to 800 spanks.

**SLAP!**

"And that's 800," Rias said before backing away. "You can deliver the last 200 spanks, Momo."

Nodding, Momo went up, a magic circle similar to Rias' appearing in her hand, and she started to spank Yuuto.

**SLAP!**

"Gah!"

Something in Momo changed when she heard Yuuto's cries. As ashamed as she was to admit it, but his screams of pain… made her feel hot. She had noticed this before, like during the Rating Game against Riser and she fought his Queen along with Izuku, she enjoyed Yubelluna's screams. She was so engrossed by these… dirty thoughts that she actually spanked Yuuto _more_ than the required 200.

"Momo, that's enough!"

"Huh, what?" Snapping out of her thoughts, Momo realized that Rias had pulled her hand back.

"You gave Yuuto enough spanks already," Rias said.

Yuuto, for his part, was lying on the floor whimpering, Ibara using Twilight Healing on his sore rear.

"Sorry, I just… lost track," Momo tried to explain. No one bought it.

"You were enjoying it," Ravel stated. "She's totally a sadist, isn't she?" She asked Kyoka.

"W-What, no!"

"I… can't argue against it," Kyoka admitted.

"Come to think of it, if Momo-san's hero costume was black instead of red, she would look like a dominatrix," Izuku muttered.

"Pervert…" Koneko deadpanned.

"I-I'm not a pervert!" Momo was blushing madly in embarrassment.

* * *

Morning soon came after the battle against Kokabiel. Sona and her peerage did an excellent job of repairing the school grounds after the fight with Kokabiel. They had almost completed the work by the time Sirzechs' troops arrived who aided in the final tasks of repairing the school, including repairing the obliterated gymnasium and fixing the damaged school grounds.

By the time morning came and classes started, there was no evidence that a massive fight had taken place mere hours ago.

And yet Mizu couldn't help but feel unease. Principle Nezu had called her this morning and wished for her to meet in his office after school. _'I wonder what this is about?'_ She thought as she knocked on the door.

"It's open. You may enter," came Nezu's voice. Walking in, Mizu saw that Nezu was at his desk, reviewing footage of some sort on his computer. "How are you adjusting to being a teacher, Akari? I certainly hope your other activities don't interfere too much."

"Uh, 'other activities', sir?" Mizu questioned.

Nezu responded by turning the monitor so that it was facing her.

Her eyes widened at what she saw. Footage of her and the others battling against Kokabiel.

"While putting all security footage on a loop for a night was a good idea, I'm afraid you failed to account for the possibility that I secretly installed an entirely separate security system after the USJ Incident that is completely independent of U.A.'s main system."

Mizu made an audible gulp.

* * *

After school ended for the day, Izuku, Ibara, and Ochako went to the clubroom. Sona, Saji, Tsubasa, and Tsubaki from the student council, along with Kudelia, Tye, and Milia from the Newspaper Club were present also. Mizu wasn't currently present, though, having been called away by the principle for some reason.

That didn't mean there wasn't an unfamiliar face present.

"What's up, Red Dragon Emperor?" a familiar blue-haired, golden-eyed figure greeted casually.

"Eh? Xenovia-san?" Izuku said in surprise. "You're still here? And… that uniform…" Indeed. She was wearing the U.A. High School uniform for girls, albeit with a pair of sneakers instead of loafers.

"To be perfectly honest, after I found out that God is dead, I wasn't sure if I could continue down the path as an exorcist. So I decided to give that all up. In other words…" She stood up, and a pair of black wings shot out from her back.

Izuku's eyes widened in shock, with both Ibara and Ochako mirroring each other with their hands over their mouths. "Devil wings?! Then you…" he looked over at Rias, who gave him a knowing, cheeky wink.

"So you managed to complete your peerage, Rias," Kudelia smirked. "About time. Now Sona's the only one with a few short."

"Since I chose self-exile, I asked Rias Gremory to induct me into her Peerage, which she accepted. I've been given the designation of 'Knight', which is perfect for my swordsmanship style. And as such, I've been transferred into this school. Starting today, I'm a first-year U.A. General Studies student and a new member of the Occult Research Club. So let's get along, Izuku-kun," she said, the last part clearly trying to sound cute. It didn't work.

"…No offense," Izuku sweat-dropped. "But that cute voice doesn't match you at all, especially with such a serious-looking face."

"I know. I was trying to mimic Irina, but it seems I can't do it," Xenovia murmured in thought as she rubbed her chin.

"Buchou, are you fine with this? I mean, that was your only other Knight piece, right?" Izuku asked.

"I don't see the trouble," Rias said as she leaned over her desk. "Having the wielder of Durandal would be a great assist. And with Yuuto already here, I now have two swordsmen in the party," she added, glancing at Yuuto who smiled proudly.

"Hm. That's right, I'm a devil now. And with God dead, my life as an exorcist was all for nothing," Xenovia stated, with a hand on her chin to show she was thinking. "But I'm not sure if become my old enemy is the best thing. But… for the little sister of the Devil King, she's been shockingly kind. Oh, I hope I made the right choice." Straining her thoughts, she placed her face in her hand. "I feel like I have, but there's so much doubt," Xenovia then puts her hands together to pray. "Please, help me, oh Lord! AGH!" She received some damage because of that, holding her head down while mumbling something.

"Déjà vu…" Koneko quipped.

"So what happened to Rinchan and Griselda-san?" Izuku asked.

"They'll be leaving tonight, taking the five Excalibur pieces, including my own, back to the Vatican," Xenovia answered. "Even though four of them were destroyed, our alchemists can still reforge them into new holy swords since their cores were left intact. The mission still counts as a success. I still have Durandal, so I'm fine with it."

"Is it alright for you to betray the Church like this?" Milia asked her.

"About that…" Xenovia continued, turning downcast. "When I mentioned God's death to them, they spoke not a word. I ended up becoming an outsider knowing God's absence. The Church hates outsiders and heresy very much. Even if it's an exorcist, they will cut them off. I'm in the same position as Shiozaki Ibara now."

Ibara looked down silently and appeared heartbroken. The Church it seemed was really extreme with what they considered to be 'traitors'.

"Irina's faith is much stronger than mine, but thankfully she and Griselda kept silent about God's absence. I don't think they suspect that they know. And then there's the fact that Irina learned the blessing she received to wield holy swords was instead the non-blasphemous version of the crystalized genes of those deceased children used to increase her aptitude. She learned a lot of forbidden truths recently. I was afraid she might go off the deep end," Xenovia continued, closing her eyes in sorrow. "But it was thanks to you that she kept her faith from waning," Xenovia said, opening her eyes and giving him a grateful smile to Izuku. "I don't know what you said to her, but it truly did help. Thank you."

"Oh, it was no problem…" Izuku blushed.

"Dang, bro!" Saji suddenly wrapped his arm around Izuku's shoulder. "You gotta teach me your tricks."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Dude, you can't be serious," Saji sighed. "Do you not realize how many chicks are- OW!" Tsubasa suddenly started pulling his ear.

"Back on topic, the Church also reached out to us in regards to the incident," Rias cut in. "More precisely, the Satans. They said: 'We are truly regretful over the dishonesty of the fallen angels and for our failure regarding this incident. We wish to make light of these events.'"

"They also apologized and took responsibility for the past actions of Valper," Sona added. "Word is that Heaven wasn't happy with the way the Church handled the situation and has asked the Pope to step down. Meanwhile, the truth about this incident was sent by Azazel, the fallen angel's governor-general. The theft of the Excaliburs was an action taken by Kokabiel only. Azazel was completely unaware of the whole thing. He only wanted to break the tension."

"So then, Kokabiel was acting on his own," Xenovia sighed, leaning back on the chair. "That eases the stress somewhat. But this school is pretty terrifying. I never would've thought there would be two sisters of the Devil King's attending here." Almost in response to what she said, Sona pressed her glasses slightly. The adjustment made them gleam menacingly in the light.

"What happened to Kokabiel anyway?" Kyoka asked.

"In light of his treason and attempting to shatter the ceasefire between factions, he's been frozen in eternal ice down in the lowest level of Hell, Cocytus," Tsubasa answered. "The Vanishing Dragon who defeated Kokabiel is actually with the fallen angels. Since they took care of the problem, they got to decide on his punishment."

At the mention of the White One, Izuku looked to his hand. _'The White Dragon Emperor… He's already achieved a perfect Balance Breaker, something I haven't accomplished yet. We're destined to fight someday, and until then I need to get stronger.'_ All Might's offer once again entered his mind. _'Maybe…'_

"Yes, his plans to restart the war came to an end and now he's paying for it," Rias said, getting Izuku's attention. "By the way, what was this 'failure' the Church mention?"

"Apparently, someone within the Church leaked the locations of the Excaliburs, which is how Kokabiel was able to steal them," Sona answered. That sent a chill down everyone's spine.

"Someone deliberately told the enemies of the Church where the Excaliburs were?" Xenovia asked. "Why?"

"They're still investigating," Sona continued. "They're hoping that Kokabiel would know. I've also been informed that the leaders of the Three Factions will convene sometime soon."

"Yes, I've heard of that as well," Rias huffed. "I've also heard that Azazel will be making some kind of proposal. We've also been invited to report on what happened."

"Does that mean Kido-kun will be joining us?" Ibara asked.

"Please tell me those Port Mafia guys aren't invited," Ochako begged.

"I can't say for sure about Kido yet, but I doubt the Port Mafia will be attending," Rias reassured.

"What about the White Dragon Emperor? Will he be there, too?" Izuku asked.

"He's with the fallen angels and he did stop Kokabiel, so I see no reason why he won't be in attendance," Rias answered.

"That's right," Xenovia confirmed with a nod. "He's working with Azazel, who's gathering strong Quirks and Sacred Gears, specifically Longinus. I don't know why, but I doubt it's anything good. The Vanishing Dragon is the top fighter among them. I heard that he is the fourth or fifth strongest out of all of them, including the leaders of the Grigori. Since he appeared in his Balance Breaker, he must be extremely powerful."

"Dang, no wonder he took care of Kokabiel so easily," Kudelia whistled.

Izuku gulped. _'I have to FIGHT him!?'_

Xenovia then turned her attention towards Ibara. "I owe you an apology, Ibara. I am very sorry for the horrible and hurtful things I said to you. I can't get the way I was treated by the church for knowing the truth out of my head. I must have made you feel the same way."

"Please don't feel bad for me, Xenovia," Ibara said sweetly as she placed her hand over her heart. "Even though I'm a devil now, I've never felt more blessed. I've met so many wonderful people who mean so much to me. I've never been this happy before in my life."

"I see," Xenovia said with a small smile on her lips before she remembered something. "Oh, there's something I wanted to ask you."

"What is it?" Ibara asked curiously.

"I would really appreciate it if you would show me around the school sometime," the azure-haired knight said with a warm smile.

"I'd love to," Ibara replied instantly.

Xenovia then turned towards Yuuto who was sat down on one of the sofas in the clubroom. "Also, if it isn't too big of a deal, I thought it'd be fun to try out my Durandal against your holy-demonic sword."

"I was thinking the same thing," Yuuto replied with a smile.

Rias stood up from her seat and attracted everyone's attention. "Now. We've got a new member so let's get the Occult Research Club back open for business!"

"Hai!"

As the ORC wet abut their activities for the night, Izuku walked over to Momo and Kyoka for a moment. "Uh, Momo-san, Kyoka-san, can I ask you for a favor?"

"A favor?" Kyoka repeated.

"What is it?" Momo asked.

* * *

At Haneda Airport, Irina waited patiently as Griselda bought their tickets to Italy. The Vatican had already received Valper's body, now she and Griselda needed to get the Excalibur fragments and Valper's research back home safely. _'If only she could join us,'_ she thought sadly, thinking of Xenovia. Xenovia was the only one among them that had mentioned God's death. Now she has been branded a heretic.

"Thinking of Xenovia?"

Irina didn't even look up as Griselda walked over to her. "Yeah. Was her becoming a devil really the only option?"

"I'm afraid so," Griselda said sadly. "Being with Rias Gremory will give her both a home and protection from the Church," sighing, Griselda gestured for Irina to follow. "Come. Our flight leaves in an hour and I want to get through security quickly."

Nodding, Irina got up and began to follow. But before they got far…

"Irina! Griselda! Wait!"

Gasping, Irina turned around and saw Xenovia, accompanied by the ORC, running up to them. "Xenovia! Zuku! Everyone!" She happily exclaimed. "Why are you here?"

"We came to see you off," Izuku answered.

"And to make sure Xenovia gets to say goodbye," Ochako added, earning her a glare from said girl.

"Really?" Griselda looked to Xenovia.

"Uh, yes," Xenovia fidgeted slightly. "I just wanted to say thank you, Griselda. You're the closest thing to family I ever had. And Irina… I'm sorry that I have to stay."

"It's okay, we understand," Griselda smiled, ruffling Xenovia's hair. "Just be sure to keep in touch."

"We may be on different sides now, but that doesn't mean we can't still be friends," Irina added before hugging Xenovia. Xenovia winched in pain and backed away. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just…" Xenovia pointed to where he cross neckless used to be.

"Oh, right! I forgot about that."

Griselda giggled happily before she turned to Rias. "If anything happens to her, I'm coming after you, Rias Gremory," she playfully warned.

"I'll be sure to make sure she stays out of trouble," Rias replied.

"We better get going. Our flight will be taking off soon," Griselda said.

"Before you go, I've been meaning to ask," Rias spoke up. But her expression quickly darkened as she addressed Irina. "Back during the duel between you and Izuku, you said you kissed him when you were kids. You only said to distract him, correct?"

"Uh…" Irina gave a nervous chuckle as she received glares from not just Rias but also Ibara, Ochako, Ravel, and even Momo. Glancing over at Izuku, who looked to be on the verge of blushing madly and wondering how to calm everyone down, she felt her cheeks heat up.

_'__You know what, screw it!'_ Smiling, Irina walked over to where Izuku was located.

"Uh, Rinchan, what are you-"

Without warning, Irina pressed her lips against his, his eyes nearly coming out of their sockets, and his face becoming as red as Rias' hair.

Everyone stood in absolute shock at what they saw. Rias, Ibara, Ochako, Ravel, and Momo had the color drained from their bodies, horrified at what they were seeing. Koneko, Yuuto, Kyoka, Xenovia, and Griselda merely had blank expressions.

About a minute had passed before Irina pulled away, leaving a blushing, shocked, and embarrassed Izuku standing before her as she smiled widely.

"That was my goodby gift to you, Zuku, at least for now." She playfully gave him and the others a winked. "By the way, that was our _second_ kiss."

"We better get going," Griselda smiled. "Goodbye, Xenovia."

"Bye Xenovia! Bye Zuku!" Irina said as she followed.

"Goodbye," Xenovia returned.

"Oh dear," Yuuto chuckled as Rias, Ibara, Ochako, Ravel, and Momo all glared at Izuku in jealousy, who seemed to be malfunctioning given how his eyes were white orbs at the moment.

* * *

It had taken Izuku about an hour to recover from Irina suddenly kissing him. When he finally did he found himself back in his bed, a naked Rias next to him explaining that Koneko carried him to his room.

Embarrassed for most of the day after, Izuku only snapped out of it when Momo told him that All Might had agreed to meet. So here he was, looking over Dagoba Municipal Beach, waiting for his idol to arrive.

[Finally made your decision, huh?]

"Yeah," Izuku nodded. "I was barely able to do anything during the fight against Kokabiel. The most I did was break his nose, but that hardly mattered. And then we met the White Dragon Emperor."

[Indeed. Now that the two of you have met, it's only a matter of time before you fight. Given the huge gap between you two, you'll need any advantage you can get.]

Izuku nodded. The most any of them did to Kokabiel was Hyde taking his arm, but the White One was able to beat Kokabiel within seconds. If he was going to face people even stronger than Kokabiel, villains or not, then he needed to get stronger.

"All Might should be here soon," Izuku then hummed in thought. "Now that I think about it, you and All Might sound a lot alike."

[Yes, I noticed that as well. I suppose it might be fate.]

Izuku chuckled a little. Maybe…

"Young Midoriya!"

Looking up, Izuku saw All Might, currently in his emaciated form walking toward him. It still felt strange, knowing that the skeleton of a man before him was actually All Might. "All M-"

"Shhh!" All Might hissed, placing a finger over his lips to emphasize.

"R-Right, sorry, uh…"

"Yagi Toshinori."

"Sorry, Y-Yagi-san," Izuku corrected.

"It's alright," All Might said. "Young Jiro and young Yaoyorozu told me that you've made your decision."

Izuku nodded. "Some things… happened recently and they made me realized… if I want to become a hero, I'll need to get stronger. I know that sounds a little selfish, but it's true. My power is pretty amazing, but there are plenty of limits that push it back. And mumblemumblemumble…"

All Might sweat-dropped as Izuku began to mumble… again. "I think I get the picture, kid," he interrupted.

"Uh, right," Izuku smiled nervously. "I guess what I'm saying is… I'll become your successor."

All Might let out a deep sigh of relief. "Good, kid. I don't know what I would've done if you said no."

"Huh?"

"Uh, I mean, uh, excellent decision, young Midoriya."

[Nice save.]

Izuku sweat-dropped.

"Alright, let me see what you can do first before I pass the torch," All Might continued. "Take off your shirt and pants so I can inspect if your body is ready."

A little nervous, Izuku took off his clothes until he was just wearing his boxers, allowing All Might to inspect his body closely. "Hmm, good muscles," the number one hero complimented, checking Izuku's muscle structure. The muscles on Izuku were meant for fighting, not for show like some bodybuilders.

"Ordinarily I would have suggested training a little, but your body is already a worthy vessel strong enough to use One for All without your limbs exploding into pieces."

"Explode!?" Izuku shivered at the thought of his limbs flying off his body. _'Guess I have Tannin-sama's training to thank.'_

"But, one warning I must give you. You have to learn how to handle at least one percent of One for All's output soon before the Quirk begins to stockpile power," All Might said before buffing up. "**Let us not waste any more time, young Midorya! It is time for you to inherit One for All, a power that has been passed down for generations!**"

Izuku straightened up his posture, his arms straight and hands touching his hips, in an almost military position. "I'm ready, All Might! I won't let you down!" Izuku said as he prepared himself to take the mantle as the next holder of One for All.

All Might then plucked a hair from one of his bangs. "**Eat this!**"

"…Huh?"

* * *

Cocytus, the deepest part of the Underworld, there was little to no light. The only source of light here came from a large pillar of ice in various hues and shades of purple. Inside of this pillar was Kokabiel. Frozen in the ice with a look of anger, despair, and agony.

All was silent in the dark area, until, in a fountain of dark energy, a figure appeared. "Well, ain't this pathetic?" The figure said mockingly, walking towards the pillar of ice. Whoever it was, they were wearing a black cloak and a black hood over their head, hiding their face. "You came so close to getting the war you wanted so badly, only to be beaten by a kid. And if that wasn't enough, you're now stuck down here as a popsicle. If I was you, I'd lose my mind by now. …Hello~?"

The figure began tapping against the ice. "Can you hear me in there? No? Ah well…" The figure in black turned around. "While I doubt they'll get anything out of you, you're still a loose end I need to… tidy up. If they learn of my involvement, it'll make things harder. So…"

_*SLICE!*_

At lightning speed, the figure drew a sword out of thin air and neatly sliced Kokabiel in two, the upper half of the frozen fallen angel sliding down to the ground.

"Sorry, but you were only good for helping set the main stage. Now the fun can _really_ begin." The figure disappeared through the same energy they arrived in, leaving Kokabiel to die.

* * *

**AN:**

**Aaaaannnnd scene! We are officially done with the Holy Sword Arc! Man, this took longer than I had thought.**

**I think the hardest part about this chapter would be Izuku's response to Kokabiel revealing that God's dead. Another thing that tripped me up was figuring how everyone could get a shot in against Kokabiel.**

**But anyway, now everyone knows the truth about God, the White Dragon Emperor has appeared, Xenovia was branded a heretic by the church and has become Rias' second knight, Irina kisses Izuku again, Kokabiel's dead, and Izuku has accepted All Might's offer. Given some of the threats later down in both the DxD Light Novel and MHA manga, he'll need it.**

**And before you ask, no, the hooded figure who helped Iida and pointed Hyde to U.A. and the hooded figure who killed Kokabiel aren't the same person. They don't know the other exists, but they'll both play ****_VERY_**** important roles later.**

**Also, I decided to FINALLY give you an update for the harem: Rias Gremory (main girl), Uraraka Ochako, Shiozaki Ibara, Yaoyorozu Momo, Tokage Setsuna, Jiro Kyoka, Xenovia Quarta, Shidou Irina, Ravel Phenex, Asui Tsuyu, Melissa Shield, Hatsume Mei, Toujou Koneko, Milia Takamaki (OC), Toujou Kuroka, Rossweisse, Liana Kozuki (OC), Kendo Itsuka, Kodai Yui, Hadou Nejire, Ashido Mina, Le Fay Pendragon, Hagakure Toru, and Yura Tsubasa.**

**Anyway, next time we'll finally get to the sports festival! A nice, fun set of chapters await. Until then stay safe and stay healthy. Go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!**


	32. Pregame Warm-Up

**Before we get into the story, I wish to dedicate this chapter to Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman, who tragically died recently after a 4 year long battle with colon cancer. May he rest in peace. Goodbye our wonderful King, you will be missed! Wakanda Forever!**

* * *

All Might explained that, in order for him to inherit One for All, Izuku needed to ingest the current bearer's DNA. After a few minutes, Izuku managed to keep the hair down and swallowed it, gagging in disgust. "I managed to get it down, but I don't feel any different," Izuku said as he covered his mouth to avoid accidentally gagging it up.

"**Well, you gotta wait a few hours for the hair to digest. That is how metabolism works,**" All Might stated.

[I sure hope this is worth it.] Ddraig groaned.

"So what now?" Izuku asked.

"**In the meantime…**" All Might reverted his transformation, taking up his normal form once more as he coughed up some blood. "I need you to tell me everything you know about your Quirk, so we can determine how One for All might interact with it."

Izuku nodded and began to explain what he currently knew about the Boosted Gear as well as his natural dragon abilities, wording everything as carefully as he could. All Might was rather surprised by both the doubling power and transferring that power aspects, but looked a little relieved upon learning that it was only temporary.

After several minutes, All Might concluded that the likeliest possibility was that, depending on the percentage used, One for All's power would skyrocket. Given the danger involved in such a massive increase in such a short time, All Might suggested using the two powers separately until he could get precise control over both.

"Alright, since we have already done the passing down of One for All and we know what might work and what might not, it may be best to call it a day," All Might suggested. "The sports festival will be in five days. That should be enough time for you to get a handle on One for All."

"Yeah…" Izuku gulped. He had honestly forgotten about the sports festival, given everything that happened over the last few days.

"You might also run into some foreign hero students during the festival," All Might added. "They'll be here for the International Heroic Students Competition."

"Wait, already? Doesn't that take place in September to October?"

"Some students who have already been accepted go to the host country several months early to get used to the climate, stay and train with certain hero schools as foreign exchange students, and scout out the local competition," All Might explained before he fixed his gaze onto Izuku. "…Both events will be the perfect time for _you_ to show the world who you are."

"Show the world… who I am?" Izuku repeated.

"That's right. I want you to stand up in front of the world and tell them 'I am here.' Your goal is to become the next number one hero right?"

"Y-yes! Yes it is!"

"To be the next great hero, you have to stand out. This event is the perfect chance for you to do just that. For you Young Midoriya, this is your first great chance to show the world just _who you are_, and what you are capable of. To show the world who is going to be the next number one."

Izuku nodded. "I won't let you down All Might. I'll go out there and make sure to make you proud."

All Might smiled, glad to see the determination and fire in Izuku's eyes. "Excellent, Young Midoriya. I know you'll do great. Now then, I suggest you return home," All Might instructed. "We'll begin Quirk training tomorrow. If something happens before then, be sure to inform me or Principle Nezu."

Izuku nodded then realized that he still needed to ask All Might something.

"Before you go, there's something I want to ask," Izuku took a couple of shaky breaths, trying to figure out how to ask his question. "See, the club I'm in, they're some of the greatest friends I've ever had. They've helped me get this far. So, I want to…"

"Tell your devil friends about One for All?" All Might finished.

Izuku did a double-take.

"Wait, YOU KNOW?!"

"Kid, I've been visited by so many devils during my career I can spot one a mile away," All Might chuckled. "They always ask the same thing and I always give the same answer."

"Oh…" Izuku recalled that Rias mentioned how devils often tried to recruit heroes from around the world, All Might being one of them. Apparently those devils who tried to recruit All Might weren't that subtle.

"Also, Principle Nezu showed me footage of your fight against that fallen angel." Izuku became so pale he looked like a corpse. "Truthfully, the principle and I had a feeling about both you and the other students for a while. The footage just confirmed it. In fact, I believe Nezu will be speaking to them about it soon."

[Huh. That rat principle is far more clever than I expected.] Ddraig sounded rather amused by these turn of events.

"…So, can I?" Izuku asked hopefully. "I don't want any secrets between us. They've all done so much for me… ever since I first met Rias. She at least deserves to know… So please sir…can I tell at least her?" Izuku asked, no, pleaded desperately, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears as he stared at the man.

All Might did not answer right away, instead letting off a soft sigh as he processed his young successor's words. Truthfully, he had nothing against devils, and he was not blind as to how much the boy cared about his friends. He had seen his interactions with them, Rias especially.

But as much as he was ok with the three clubs run by devils, he still needed Izuku to be aware of the dangers of letting others know about the truth. If even one of them slipped One for All's existence, chances are that the wrong people will learn about it rather quickly. If that were to happen, neither U.A.'s name or the Gremory name could protect both Izuku and those closest to him. Still, they can be trusted with a secret such as this.

"I can understand why you would want to tell them, your girlfriend especially."

Izuku's face went red and his hands flew up, waving around frantically, "Wait! It's not like that at all!"

"Relax, young man. U.A. doesn't have the same rules as some other hero schools. You are more than welcome to go on dates with pretty girls if you want, whether they're your classmates or not."

With his hands now covering his face, Izuku replied. "All Might, please! Rias being beautiful has nothing to do with why we spend time together! We're friends! Please don't make it seem so weird and scandalous!"

_'__I never mentioned young Gremory. And beautiful? Oh boy, he's totally head over heels for her and he doesn't even know it.'_ All Might laughed as he waved Izuku's worries away, "Come on, my boy. I was just teasing you. And for the record, if you think something like that sounds scandalous, you are not ready for what tabloids can say. Anyway, I will allow your friends to know about it. Young Jirou and young Yaoyorozu may know already, but the details that we will share with only the others in your club and no one else. Make sure they know this when it comes time to tell them everything." All Might stated, smiling slightly at the look of surprise and utter gratefulness of his successor.

"I… Thank you, All Might. And you don't need to worry about Rias or the others saying anything. They can keep a secret. I swear," Izuku assured, his earnest words getting a slight laugh out of All Might. Despite some mild reservations, he was also sure that they would not reveal anything to anyone.

Izuku's phone then rang, singling he got a text. It said that he needed to get to the clubroom "I better get going. See you, All Might."

"Take care, young Midoriya," All Might called as Izuku ran off.

The only question that remained now was when to tell the ORC…

* * *

A little bit later, Izuku arrived back at the ORC clubroom. "Sorry I'm late," Izuku apologized as he opened the door. "I needed to…" Once he looked inside the clubroom, Izuku saw someone he wasn't expecting. "Huh? Kido-san?"

"Hey, Midoriya," Hyde greeted.

"Why are you here?"

"We wanted to talk to him about the fight with Kokabiel, as well as his Sacred Gear," Rias explained. "It's called 'Void Red', correct?"

"I already told you, but yeah," Hyde confirmed.

Rias lowered her head in thought. "I've never heard of that Sacred Gear before. The closest one I could think of would be the Void."

"The Blade of Indulgence?" Ravel asked. "I can see the similarities, but Kido's Void Red might be a subspecies."

"Subspecies?" Ibara repeated.

"Sacred Gears are affected by the thoughts and feelings of the wielder. A subspecies is basically a Sacred Gear with a unique characteristic because of these thoughts and feelings," Rias explained.

"Back on topic, I've been curious about something," Ravel eyed Hyde suspiciously. "You didn't seem all that fazed by the Cerberus pack, or by Kokabiel and any of us. How come?"

"Well, that's because I stumbled into all this," Hyde answered.

"How and where?"

"It happened a few months before the Entrance Exam. I was walking home when some monster jumped me," Hyde explained. "I was so scared I didn't know what to do. I think that's when my Scared Gear awakened because my arm started moving on its own. I drew my Insulator for the first time and I took it down with one swipe."

"What was this monster?" Rias asked. "Was it a stray devil?"

"Uh, maybe? I didn't get a good look at it and I kinda ran home after."

Before anything else was said, a small magic circle appeared next to Rias' ear. "Yes?" Rias' eyes slowly widened at what was said by whoever spoke to her. "What?! What do you mean he's dead? …I see." The magic circle then disappeared.

"What was that about?" Momo asked.

Rias took a deep sigh. "It's Kokabiel. He's been killed."

"What?!" Everyone present exclaimed.

"When did that happen?" Xenovia asked.

"From what Azazel told my brother, the person responsible was able to get in, kill Kokabiel, and get out, all without being seen," Rias sighed and rubbed the back of her head.

"And all that happened when he was imprisoned," said Ravel. "You don't think it was whoever leaked the Excaliburs' locations, do you?"

"It's possible," Rias nodded.

"From the way you all talk about this holy sword theft, it does sound like an inside job," Hyde said.

"But who? And why?" Yuuto wondered.

An uneasy silence fell upon the clubroom. Eventually, it was broken by Rias. "I suppose it doesn't matter now."

"If we're done here, then can I go home?" Hyde asked. "I've got a ton of homework I need to finish."

"Yes, I say this is enough for tonight." Rias agreed.

Soon everyone got up and went home for the night, saying goodbyes to each other and their newest club member Hyde.

Still, Ravel felt that Hyde was hiding something.

* * *

Walking into his apartment, Hyde put his backpack on the coat hanger and turned the lights on. Yawning, he walked over to the kitchen area and started making dinner.

"How was your meeting?"

Hyde nearly jumped out of his skin. "Gh! You-!" Shaking off his surprise, Hyde scowled at the intruder sitting in a chair. "I _hate_ it when you do that!" Taking a deep breath, Hyde answered the question. "It went pretty well. They didn't ask too much, though that Ravel girl seemed a bit suspicious of me."

"I see."

As Hyde got back to making his dinner, he couldn't help but give his 'guest' a distrustful glare. "Why have me join the club? I get I'm supposed to look for 'potential recruits', and they're all really strong people, but why?"

"I would've had you join the Gremory's club eventually, but your interference in Kokabiel's war forced my hand to act earlier than I intended," he replied. "That reminds me, this black hooded figure you encountered. Are you positive it's the same one described by Iida Tenya?"

"Yeah. They matched his description dead on."

"Hmm…" the figure rested his head on his hands. "Did you noticed any other details? Even something as minor as their skin color could help."

"Sorry, but no… Actually, there is something. When I ran into the guy, something about him just felt… off," Hyde fidgeted slightly. "Unnatural… It felt like… they shouldn't be here."

"I see. Where was this?"

"I think it was about a block from here, near the stoplights. Anything else, Knight?"

Hyde's 'guest' walked into the light. It was a man wearing armor that resembled the armor worn by medieval European knights. It looked to be some kind of carbon fiber titanium mix with yellow glowing lines and a dark raspberry colored cape. It was the same Knight that Yuuto, Koneko, Saji, and Alexandra from Kudelia's peerage encountered months ago.

"No, I have all the info I need. Continue as you normally would," Black Knight answered. "I'll investigate this cloaked figure."

* * *

Izuku gave a big yawn as he walked into his room. The last few days have been hectic, to say the least.

Just as he sat down, Izuku felt his body changed. Shooting up, Izuku infected his hands. Something about him felt different. It wasn't by much, but he was able to tell.

"Ddraig, I think I just finished absorbing One for All!" He excitedly exclaimed.

But Ddraig didn't respond.

Blinking in surprise, Izuku looked at his left hand where the Boosted Gear dwelled. "Ddraig? Ddraig, you're not asleep again, are you?"

Still no response.

"Ddraig, you're starting to scare me! Ddraig!?"

[Calm down, brat! I'm fine.] Ddraig suddenly answered, to Izuku's relief. [Sorry. I was busy handling something. Anyway, looks like you finally have a Quirk now.]

Izuku excitedly nodded his head. "Yeah!" Then he released something. "How… do I make it work?"

[That's a good question. He'll probably explain tomorrow, so get some rest. I have a feeling it's going to be a busy day.]

* * *

The next day Izuku eagerly waited for classes to be over so he could start training. All Might had told him to meet at one of the battlegrounds so they could start training. The prospect was so exciting that he had almost not paid attention in class.

[You better be careful or else you'll start drooling.] Ddraig had warned.

_'__Sorry,'_ Izuku chuckled as he walked to the cafeteria for lunch. _'I'm just really excited.'_

[Oh really? I haven't been able to tell.]

Izuku was about to retort, but the moment he arrived at the cafeteria…

"MIDORIYA, YOU BASTARD!" Mineta and Kaminari suddenly tackled and began to throttle Izuku. And it wasn't just them. Tsuburaba from 1-B was there as well.

"What's the meaning of this, you broccoli headed asshole?!"

"How!? How are you so damn lucky?!"

"You can't keep every hot chick in school to yourself!" Mineta, Tsuburaba, and Kaminari all said.

Izuku desperately tried to defend himself from the three. "Guys! Cool it! What's this about?!"

"That! That over there!" Mineta pointed toward one of the tables. There, Xenovia sat with Ochako, Momo, Kyoka, and some girls presumably from her class. "We overheard that foreign, Italian bombshell say she was in the Occult Research Club, same as you!"

"Just how Plus Ultra do you plan to go with your harem?!" Kaminari demanded.

"I don't have a harem!" Izuku denied.

"Don't try to deny it!" Mineta wailed. "Quarta-chan is your latest acquisition!"

"'Quarta-chan'? You mean Xenovia-san?" Izuku asked.

"You're that close to her?!" Kaminari exclaimed.

"Gremory-chan, Yura-chan, Uraraka-chan, Shiozaki-chan, even Yaoyorozu-chan and Kozuki-chan! And now Quarta-chan! Who else is in your harem!?" Mineta demanded.

"We're tired of not getting anywhere with the notes we've taken!" Kaminari growled. "Tell us your secret already!"

"The minute these two told me about you, I knew I had to know too!" Tsuburaba said.

"Shut the fuck up, bastards!" All four jumpers as Bakugo pushed them aside. "Leave the fake alone!"

"Fake?" Izuku repeated. He then flinched as Bakugo shot him a murderous glare.

"Bastard, I know," he growled before leaving.

Izuku's eyes widened at Bakugo's words. What did he mean by that?

"What does he mean 'he knows'?!" Mineta demanded. "Does that mean he knows Midoriya's harem secrets!"

"But there aren't any chicks hanging around him," Kaminari pointed out.

"Not now, but what about after classes?"

"I doubt he'd get even _one_ girl," said Tsuburaba. "His personality will be an instant turnoff to anyone, let alone a chick. He won't be a great hero with that personality, either."

Realizing that the three would likely attract Bakugo's ire, Izuku discreetly moved away. Just in time too as that part of the cafeteria was engulfed in a fireball.

* * *

Later after classes ended, Rias received a notice to report to Nezu's office. Feeling that this might take a while she notified everyone that club activities would be canceled today, citing how Izuku and the others needed to train for the sports festival. What she wasn't expecting to see was her best friend meeting her there.

"Sona, you're here too?" Sure enough, Sona was just about to knock on the principle's door when Rias called.

"I'm just as surprised as you, Rias," a surprise Sona replied.

"Guess that makes three of us," the two devil heirs turned and saw Kudelia walking two them. "You two got called by Principle Nezu, too?"

"Yes," Rias answered while Sona nodded.

"It's strange for him to suddenly call upon students like this," Sona said.

"You don't think he's onto us, do you?" Kudelia asked.

"Don't be ridiculous," Sona chided. "I'm sure it's something involving the clubs."

"Then why request us, specifically?" Rias countered.

"I suppose we'll find out," Sona mussed as she knocked on the door.

"You may enter," Nezu's voice called.

Opening the door, Rias and Kudelia followed Sona as they stood before Nezu's desk. From the sound of things, he was watching a video of some sort on his computer.

"You wanted to see us, Principle Nezu?" Sona polity asked.

"Ah, yes, I wish to speak with you regarding your extracurricular activities," Nezu turned the monitor around, showing the three devils the footage of the fight with Kokabiel.

"'Something involving the clubs,'" Kudelia mockingly said as Sona's eyes widened in shock while Rias made an audible gulp.

* * *

Meanwhile, Izuku, wearing his gym uniform, arrived at one of the battle centers. Rias had been called away by the principle, likely to discuss about the fight with Kokabiel, so club activities were canceled for the day.

"Apologies for being late, young Midoriya," All Might greeted as he arrived in his true form. "You ready to start training?"

"I am!" Izuku excitedly replied as he followed his idol into the battle center.

After about 5 minutes of walking the two made their way to the center of the battle center. It was a city type, a very damaged one at that. The buildings and streets were all torn up with many cracks all around the street and buildings with many chunks missing from each as well.

"Uh, is it really okay to test out One for All here, All Might?" Izuku asked. "This place looks pretty expensive despite being banged up."

"Do not worry, this battle center is scheduled to be rebuilt and remade soon," All Might replied. "Now let's get started," All Might looked around before pointed towards an adjacent street and said. "How about there? Just punch with One for All at full strength towards the street."

Izuku nodded before he stood before the open street. "So how does this work?" He asked. "How can I activate One for All?"

All Might took a step back and said, "Alright, first you got to focus and concentrate on the power coursing inside of you. Just because your body is a proper vessel doesn't mean that you will be able to handle the full backlash of One for All." All Might buffed out once again. "**So concentrate.**"

Izuku nodded and turned to the empty street before him. He dug his heels into the ground.

"**And clench your buttcheeks!**"

"I what?" Izuku asked.

[What kind of messed up advice is that?] Izuku could feel Ddraig sweat-drop.

"**Well, it's how I've always used One for All.**"

Izuku could only stare blankly at All Might.

[Just… ignore that part.]

Nodding, Izuku brought his fists up. He brought his right arm back, fist clenched tightly, concentrating. Red veins starting to appear on his skin, with green lightning sparking all over his arm.

"SMASH!"

Izuku struck his fist out onto the air and not a millisecond later a powerful gust of wind blasted out into the street! The blast forced All Might to step back a bit.

The powerful winds stopped and he looked up from his shielding arms. What he saw astounded him. In front of him, the street and a couple of buildings were destroyed, cars mangled and torn as they were blasted back from the power of Izuku's punch. Multiple glass windows shattered, glass falling everywhere.

All Might was astounded at the level of power in Izuku's punch. While he was able to use all 100% of One for All's strength when he first got the Quirk, it took a few years of growing and training for him to reach the godly levels of strength from his prime and his first few punches from when he first started were weaker.

But the strength that Izuku showed from his first punch put his own first punch to shame!

_'_**_Even though he only just got One for All, this level of power is way stronger than when I first received it!_**_'_ All Might thought. _'_**_Just as I thought. One for All is growing in power and has grown since my time. Though he will need lots of training and experience, Young Midoriya will grow to become stronger than me._**_'_

He was knocked out of his thoughts by Izuku's loud screams of pain.

"AAAAAAUUUUUUGGGGHHH!"

* * *

Several minutes after Izuku first used One for All and frantic run later, Izuku was now resting in a hospital bed at Recovery Girl's office. Said heroine was currently berating and smacking a debuffed All Might in the head with her cane/giant syringe thing.

"You overgrown thickheaded numskull!" Recovery Girl yelled out, her voice like a berating angry grandma. "The first thing that you make your new successor do with his Quirk is to 'take it for a whirl'?! You're lucky that the boy's arm didn't fly off his body!"

"I'm sorry!" All Might said as he attempted to block the strikes from her cane. "We needed to see how strong he was and how much of One for All he could use!"

"Yet you told him to fire a punch at 100%?!" Recovery Girl shrieked. "Your arm was bruised the first time you used it, what did you expect would happen to the boy after the Quirk grew stronger inside your idiotic body?!"

"Um, All Might, she knows about One for All?" Izuku asked cautiously, worried that he would become recipient to her ire likewise.

"Yes, dearie, I know about One for All," Recovery Girl said, her tone shifting to that a caring grandma speaking to a child. "This knucklehead and I were close back in the day and saw fit to trust me with its secret. I was even there when he needed surgery for that horrible wound of his that left the nimrod in this sad state," she emphasized her point by poking All Might's side with her syringe.

"It's ok, young Midoriya, you can trust her with this secret," the Symbol of Peace said as he rubbed his side. "Recovery Girl may be a bit snappish, especially with me, but she is a loyal friend and the best healer and doctor that I know."

"So dearie, how are you feeling?" Recovery Girl asked as she inspected Izuku's now bandaged arm. "Feeling any tingles or aches?"

"No, I'm ok, a little tired maybe," Izuku said with a yawn.

Recovery Girl let out a chuckle at Izuku's reaction. "Well, that's how my Quirk works. It speeds up the healing process of the body. However, healing takes energy and stamina so if used too much you'll end up getting drained of all your energy so you'll die instead of heal."

"THIS COULD KILL ME!" Izuku yelled despite still feeling drained.

"Yep, so it's important you get the hang of this power soon. You can't rely on someone else's help all the time."

Izuku broke out of his freaking out stat when she said those words. She was right. Although he had friends in the Occult Research Club, he couldn't count on them and others for help whenever he needs it. There are some things that he will eventually need to do on his own. "Right!" he nodded seriously.

Recovery Girl gave the boy a proud smile in response.

"So any advice on how not to break my bones again, All Might?" Izuku asked.

"I was hoping you'd ask," All Might said with a big smile. "Think of One for All as water and your body as the glass holding it. Or an egg in a microwave. As you've recently received One for All, right now you're overflowing with power, leaving the glass or egg to crack. All you need to do is learn to control it. Then you'll be able to steadily have the power flow through your body without risk of cracking."

Izuku nodded. "So until I can learn to control it, I'm either at all or nothing?" Izuku asked making sure he didn't miss a single thing in All Might's explanation.

"Precisely," Recovery Girl stepped in. "And we've seen what happens when you go all out."

"So, what now?" Izuku asked.

"For now you should head home," Recovery Girl said, surprising the boy a bit. "Remember, I just used my Quirk on you, so you don't have much stamina right now. Doing more work right now would only hurt you, so you should go and rest up."

"Yeah, you're right," Izuku said after hearing Recovery Girl's reasoning. As much as he wanted to keep on working today, he was already told the risk of using Recovery Girl's Quirk too much. Plus he already experienced the feeling of overworking himself. "I'll be sure to

* * *

With only a couple of days left before the sports festival, everyone in the school was doing everything they could to prepare. Many of the students, especially those in the heroics classes made sure to take advantage of the numerous gyms that were on campus after their normal classes were finished.

Izuku, however, was currently training off-campus at Dagoba Beach, still trying to get a handle on One for All. "Ahhhhhhhhhh!" Based on how he was shouting at the top of his lungs, he still was having some trouble. "GAh!"

Izuku fell to his back, breathing heavily.

[Well, at least you haven't broken anything yet.] Ddraig tried to reassure his host. It didn't work.

Sitting back up, Izuku looked out over the ocean in front of him. _'What am I doing wrong?'_

[A different mental image may help.] Ddraig suggested.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

[You've been using that egg in a microwave analogy every time you've used One for All. While it is better than All Might's butt cheek thing, it wasn't very good advice.] Izuku chuckled, agreeing with the dragon spirit on that. [A big problem with that is that One for All's power is within you, not around you like in a microwave.]

_'__So all I need is a new mental image?'_ Izuku mentally asked. _'But what kind of image will I use?'_

[I might be able to walk you through it.] Ddraig suggested.

_'__Really?!'_

[Yes. This technique can even help you unlock other abilities in the Boosted Gear. First, sit down, close your eyes, and meditate.] Ddraig instructed.

Doing as he was told, Izuku sat down, crossing his legs, and closed his eyes.

[Take deep breaths and relax. Focus only on my voice.]

His body visibly relaxed. He started taking slow deep breaths. Soon everything seemed to fade as he focused in on Ddraig's voice.

[Now find the source of your Quirk, look at it, and tell me what you see.]

Izuku searched for it, One for All. Deep inside him, he felt it, the power of eight people now in one. It was like a raging inferno of eight colors crackling with bolts of lighting. Just witnessing the power induced a sense of awe and wonder in Izuku. All this he described to Ddraig.

[I see… now reach out your hand take only a little just enough to ignite your fingers.]

Izuku did so. In his mind scape, he slowly stretched his hand forward. Right as his finger touch the flames he felt power surge within his arm as the flames traveled up the length of his arms. It didn't burn, the flames being pleasant instead, emitting a soothing warmth.

At that moment he felt several hands lay gentle on his own. While confused, he didn't let it bother him, he opened his eyes slowly, pulled his fist back, and punched forward. A small gust of wind burst forward, nothing major but more than a normal punch would generate. Izuku looked at his arm with a smile. It was undamaged perfectly fine. Sparks of green lightning bounce around it as it gave off a faint glow.

"It worked." Izuku breathed out.

"That was impressive."

"Yeah, I just need to do that again and- wait!" Eyes widening, Izuku turned around and saw a familiar redhead. "Buchou!? When did you get here?!"

"A few minutes ago," Rias answered. "I've noticed that something about you seemed different lately, and looks like I was right," her expression quickly turned to one of concern. "Izuku, that blast wasn't a result of your Boosted Gear. And it wasn't magic either. Do you… have a Quirk now?"

"I… Yeah…" Izuku admitted.

"How did you get a Quirk?"

"…It's… kinda hard to explain," Izuku did his best to explain, though. He explained everything he knew about One for All to Rias, from how All might made the offer to how Momo and Kyoka already knew. The more that was explained to Rias, the more she grew surprised. It was evident in her eyes.

"That's… a lot to take in," Rias muttered, seemingly in a daze as she tried to process everything that was said.

"Yeah…" Izuku nodded. "I was planning to tell you and the others eventually, but I wasn't sure when. Or even how."

"I understand why this has to be kept secret," Rias replied. "A Quirk that's been passed down for decades, possibly centuries, growing more powerful during that time. And you have it now?"

Izuku nodded again. "What I did just now was the first time I managed to use it without breaking any bones."

"So that's why you've been coming from Recovery Girl's office lately," Rias said before she gave a light laugh. "You truly are amazing, Izuku. First, you have the Boosted Gear, now you have the Quirk of your idol," she walked forward and hugged the green-haired devil, making sure his head was in her boobs. "You truly are the greatest. I couldn't be more proud."

Izuku smiled, trying desperately not to pass out from the warm embrace of Rias' breasts.

* * *

It was finally the morning of the sports festival. Hordes of media outlets and reports are swarming U.A.'s main gate as fireworks go off above and stalls of food, games, and shops line U.A.'s campus.

One young woman, a reporter, couldn't stand waiting around until she's allowed to enter. "This security line is huge. What's the deal?"

"A bunch of villains did just break in," her cameraman pointed out. "Of course the school's being stricter this year. Some people think they shouldn't be holding the festival, considering what happened."

The reporter just gained. "Perfect! Nothing brings ratings up like a little controversy! Plus, everybody will tune in to see Classes 1-A and 1-B!" She declared.

She's right on the nose about that fact. Most of the spectators here today are going to attend the first-year's competition. Usually, they'd all be lining up for the third-years because they have the most experience with their Quirks, and thus it's usually a better show. But the draw of witnessing the very students that fought off real villains without any proper experience is too difficult of a notion to pass up.

As for the controversy, U.A., or rather Nezu, has a plan for that. Part of it was to call upon a number of pro heroes to help patrol the school grounds as the competition plays out.

Speaking of which, one pro, Mt. Lady, was eyeing a takoyaki stand greedily. "I'll take one order to go please."

The vendor blushed at the sight of her. "Whoa! Mt. Lady is it really you?" He asked, ignoring that Kamui Woods and Death Arms were standing behind her, all of which are wearing security passes to help establish their roles here today.

"And hold the salt, will you?" Mt. Lady added, drooling slightly.

"Of course!" He immediately begins prepping her order. "That's gonna be 1574 yen."

Mt. Lady gaped, not expecting the takoyaki to be so much. She was still paying off the unintentional damage she causes and was thus broke. So instead, she wiggled her hips and presses her arm against her chest, emanating as much of her alluring charm she can. "Um…Oh, no, my money is in another costume."

It somehow worked.

"So hot!" The vendor handed over the takoyaki. "Here's a free box!"

"You're such a doll!" She shouted in response before taking the free meal.

"Have you no sense of shame?" Kamui muttered in disapproval.

After she snags her takoyaki, the three continue with their patrol.

"Man, I wanted to do some scouting," Kamui Woods grumbled as he walked around the stalls with Mt. Lady and Death Arms.

"We don't really have a choice," Death Arms replied. "We're needed for security."

Mt. Lady sticks one of the takoyaki into her mouth. "Looks like they called in pro heroes from all over to guard this thing. Quite a show."

As they patrolled, they passed by four students wearing dark green jerseys with a large, golden B on the back. Death Arms looked them over for a moment before recognizing the jerseys. "Oh hey, those kids are from Beacon."

"Beacon?" Mt. Lady asked, having just finished her takoyaki. "Isn't that one of America's top hero schools?"

"If they're from Beacon then they're likely here because of the IHSC," Kamui deduced. "I wasn't expecting them to arrive so soon though."

"Lucky brats," Mt. Lady muttered. "I wasn't able to go to Brazil during the last IHSC."

"Guess that also explains why I've been seeing some UNIT agents, too," Death Arms added.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the resting area for class 1-A in the stadium for 1st years, the students were all waiting and getting ready, both nervous and excited.

"Man… I really wanted to wear my costume," Mina complained, wearing her PE uniform along with the rest of 1-A.

"We have to keep things fair, Ashido-san," Liana replied, stretching her arms. "Most of the other classes don't have costumes, so PE uniforms give everyone a relatively fair chance, not counting Quirks and the few exceptions," she spared a glance at Aoyama, wearing the belt from his costume as he admired himself in a mirror he brought.

"What do you think they'll have us do first?" Tsubasa asked.

"Good question," said Hyde. "Don't they change the events every year?"

"The first event was dodgeball last year, followed by capture the flag, and then a racquetball match, kero," Tsuyu tapped her finger on her cheek. "It might be something similar."

"No matter what comes, we have no choice but to deal with it," Fumikage calmly replied.

Just then, the door opened, and Momo and Izuku walked into the room.

"Is everybody ready? We'll be entering the stadium soon," Momo asked.

As everyone started to get up and get ready, Izuku was not prepared when someone called his name.

"Midoriya."

Turning around, Izuku was shocked to find Todoroki standing in front of him. His cold eyes practically pierced into him. A few other students stopped to see what was happening. It was rare for Shouto to speak, period. Much less to someone else in the class.

"Todoroki-san? Do you need something?"

Izuku tried not to show how unnerved he was. The look in Todoroki's eyes was unsettling.

"You have a strong Quirk, and you've been trained very well. Realistically speaking, we're both the strongest in the class, about equal." Todoroki stated bluntly, not caring about the other eighteen people listening in on their conversation. While Bakugo bristled at the comment, he thankfully chose to keep quiet. "But you've also got the attention of All Might, don't you?"

Izuku went stiff, "I…wha…?"

"He clearly has some _interest_ in you, but I'm not going to pry into that. What matters is that he is interested in you. That's why I'm going to beat you."

Everyone else in the room was quite shocked at the boldness of the statement, particularly when it came so suddenly from a guy who was quite aloof of the rest of the class most of the time.

"Holy crap, did Todoroki just make a declaration of war against the class rep?"

"Wow, Midoriya has got Todoroki as an enemy. Sucks to be him."

"Technically, aren't we all enemies?"

"Yeah, but he's gunning for Midoriya."

While most of the class was still shocked, a few frowned at Todoroki. Tsubasa moved over to put herself between Izuku and Todoroki, "Why are you picking a fight now when we're about to start?"

"Yeah man," Kirishima added. "That's not the right way to do it at all."

Todoroki shrugged them off and walked away. "I'm not here to make friends. So why does it matter if I don't do it the right way."

"Todoroki, wait," Izuku called out to the duel Quirk user, "I don't know why you think I have some connection to All Might, or why that makes you think you have to beat me, but don't forget that everyone here is aiming to win. And don't think for one-second that I'm not going to give it everything I have. You may have a powerful Quirk, but that doesn't guarantee that you'll win. You aren't the only one that's strong."

Soon the call came for the class to make their way to the arena. As they walked down the hall, Izuku couldn't help but wonder just why Todoroki had made the connection between himself and All Might.

* * *

On several giant monitors hanging above the stands, Present Mic popped onto the screen, _["HEY! Are you all ready!?"]_ A loud cheer from the crowd made the hero smile brightly. _["EXCELLENT! It's time for this year's high school festival you all know and love to get started! You excited for this too, Mummy Man?"]_

_["…How'd you talked me into this?"]_ Aizawa's tired voice questioned over the broadcasting system.

_["The first-year students are about to take the stage! Give them all a loud welcome!"]_

From the high box suite seat, the ORC, the Student Council, and the Newspaper Club all eagerly waited as the crowd cheered.

"This is… quite a crowd," Ravel muttered.

"Everyone loves to watch the sports festival," Koneko stated, eating a large amount of cotton candy.

"Remind me why I couldn't compete?" Xenovia asked.

"You just transferred in," Sona replied. "And you'll likely use Durandal first chance you get."

Xenovia's only response was an annoyed groan. "Then why isn't Kiba competing?" She grumbled.

"The sports festival isn't mandatory for General Studies," Yuuto answered. "And I'd rather let my classmates who failed the practical portion of the entrance exam shine."

Another loud roar from the crowd drew the group's attention as down below, long lines of students began to enter the arena.

Present Mic's voice echoed over everyone, _["First up, we have our hero course, 1-A and 1-B! These young warriors are the ones that overcame a villainous attack! If there was anyone to watch for, it would be this group of rising stars!"]_

Cameras panned over the group, passing over Izuku, Ochako, Momo, Kyoka, Tsubasa, Milia, and Celica.

"Izuku looks to be on the verge of a heart attack," Yuuto tried to stifle a laugh.

"So does Milia," Kudelia commented.

Rias nodded. "Being in front of such a large crowd can be a little intimidating."

Down at the stage, the students looked around at the huge crowd. "W-wow, there are so many people!" Izuku remarked, intimidated by the large crowd.

"I-I wasn't expecting t-this many people," Milia stuttered.

"Don't be such worry worts, you two," said Setsuna. "This is awesome!"

"She's right. You don't have to be so nervous," Momo reassured.

"I hope we still give our best performances," Iida said. "Even though all these eyes are watching us. I suppose it's just being another aspect of being a hero we all have to get used too."

"Present Mic sure likes to hype this up a lot. Kind of makes me nervous," Kirishima said, turning to Bakugo. "How are you feeling, man?"

"I'm not worried. It makes me want to win this thing even more," he said with a deadly glare.

_["After them, those who shouldn't be underestimated, because they are but a victory close to join their fellows! They are General Studies, Classes 1-C, 1-D and 1-E! After them, the ones that make sure gears turn and wheels run, the Support Course, Classes 1-F, 1-G and 1-H! And last, but not least, the ones who learn the ins and outs of our economy and how to help the Heroes, the Business Course, Classes 1-I, 1-J and 1-K!"]_ Present Mic announced as the rest of the freshman classes came through their respective tunnels. While it was true that reception was not as intense as the one that welcomed Hero Course, they nonetheless received the cheering they deserved as pupils of the foremost Hero Academy in Japan.

"Man, I feel like we're just here to make those guys look better," One of the students from General Studies said.

"I'm not really feeling it," another student replied.

As the first-years gathered in the middle of the stage, Izuku looked over the crowd that had gathered, but something caught his eye. Someone in a black cloak and hood was in the stands, watching at the edge of the railings, watching him in particular. He wasn't sure why he was drawn to them, but something about them seemed… familiar.

A loud whipping sound caught his, and the other first-years, attention.

"Time for the Players' Pledge!" A feminine voice shouted. Pretty much every male in the stadium blushed as they saw the attractive woman on the stand, her whip in hand, and a sultry smile on her face.

_["And this is this year's chief umpire for the First Year Tournament, the R-Rated Hero, Midnight!"]_ Present Mic presented her, while the people in the stands whispered.

"What about the principal?" Someone asked.

"He's always at the third-year stage, every year!"

"What is Midnight-sensei wearing? Isn't it a bit… revealing?" Kirishima asked, his face turning as red as his hair while he gazed.

"That's the R-Rated Hero for you!" Kaminari answered.

"Is it really okay for her to conduct the events of this tournament, even though she is not wearing clothes appropriate for the scene?" Tokoyami wondered.

"YES!" Mineta exclaimed, shooting him a big thumbs up.

While everyone talked, Izuku looked back to where the cloaked figure was, but they were gone.

"QUIET, EVERYONE!" Midnight yelled. "Today, before the first round is selected, we will have the speech from the student representing the first years. He placed first in the entrance practical exam with a total score of 88!" She pointed her whip at Izuku. "Midoriya Izuku of Class 1-A! Come up and give your opening speech!"

Izuku blinked, not sure he had just heard right. _'Wait, WHAT!?'_

* * *

"You didn't tell your class about the speech, didn't you?" Present Mic asked Aizawa, making sure not to be heard over the intercom.

Aizawa didn't respond. Instead, the bandaged up man gave a shrug, which was all the answers Mic needed.

"Classic Shota," Mic muttered in amusement.

* * *

**AN:**

**And now here we are at the sports festival! Sorry this chapter took so long, a few things… happened that delayed this. But now here we are!**

**Still a couple of this to note are that Hyde is apparently working for that knight guy from all the way back in Chapter 10. What does this mean? And just who is he?**

**And Izuku gets to give a speech next chapter. Too bad no one told him beforehand. You can blame Aizawa for that.**

**Oh, by the way, the harem list last chapter? That wasn't the ****_FULL_**** list. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)**

**Also, if any of you are willing to ****either**** do or commission fan art for the story, I will appreciate it.**

**Anyway, next time we'll officially begin the first event of the sports festival, assuming Izuku doesn't die from giving a speech in front of such a big crowd. Until then stay safe and stay healthy. Go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!**


	33. In Their Quirky Ways

**AN: ****Hi everyone, thanks for your patience. I am so sorry this chapter took so long but a lot of things happened. Mainly my grandfather had a stroke and fell a little while ago. He's currently confined to a bed and recovering, thankfully, though who knows how long it'll take. He's making jokes about it so he'll be fine. So me, my mom and her boyfriend had to go to California to visit my grandmother to help, spending a few days in Menifee where they live.**

**On a more positive note, yesterday (October 7th) was my birthday. I'm now 25-years-old. But enough about that, it's time to get the sports festival started!**

* * *

Back at the Midoriya apartment, Inko sat on the couch, watching the festival on TV. The screen showed the tunnel where the students were going to be walking out.

"Come on, Izuku," she said, getting a little nervous. Her anxious thoughts were interrupted when the house phone started ringing. Getting up and walking over, she reached down to answer. The caller ID was a surprise, though.

_'Bakugo?'_

Bringing the phone to her ear, she did her very best to at least sound polite. "Hello?"

_"{Inko-chan! It's been forever.}"_

"Mitsuki?"

Taking a moment to collect herself, Inko tried to remember when the last time she had actually _talked_ to her old friend. They had exchanged a few texts here and there, the most recent when she congratulated her over Izuku getting into U.A. An actual conversation though? It must have been close to a year by this point.

"It…has been a while, hasn't it?"

_"{Well, the faults definitely on my end over that.}"_

"Oh, oh no. I could have just as easily picked up the phone."

_"{Inko, we both know what's kept that from happening. Only one of us has a son competing to become the biggest fucking prick this side of Japan. Now, on the subject of our sons, how's yours doing? Has he snagged any of those girls yet?}"_

"Not yet, but it's only a matter of time!" Inko giggled mischievously. "I can't wait to hold my first grandchild."

_"{I'm glad you have the chance. Katsuki's attitude won't land him any girls anytime soon.}"_ Inko could hear Mitsuki lament over the phone. _"{Still that might change.}"_

"How so?"

_"{Lately he's been coming home late, saying something about training with a tutor. Katsuki hasn't said much, but he did say that he'll introduce us to his tutor and their assistant when they're not too busy. The assistant happens to be a girl around his age. It makes me hope my son will view her not as some random 'extra'.}"_

Inko giggled as she glanced at the TV. "Oh, looks like Izuku and his classmates are on the field."

_"{Guess we better end this call, then. I'll call again later to check up on you.}"_

"Mitsuki, there's no reason for you to check up on me."

_"{Inko, you and Izuku-kun can _literally_ cry up a river.}"_ Mitsuki countered.

"…Fair point."

* * *

"Today, before the first round is selected, we will have the speech from the student representing the first years. He placed first in the entrance practical exam with a total score of 88!" She pointed her whip at Izuku. "Midoriya Izuku of Class 1-A! Come up and give your opening speech!"

Izuku blinked, not sure he had just heard right. _'Wait, WHAT!?'_

"I didn't know you were giving a… speech… Izuku-san?" Ibara had started off excited, but that was quickly drowned out when she turned and looked at Izuku, who looked just about ready to die.

Some of the others noticed Izuku shaking. "Uh, Midoriya, you okay?" Hyde asked.

"No one told me!" Izuku scream-whispered, sweating profusely.

"Wait, what?"

"Midoriya Izuku! Hurry up! We don't have time to wait around!"

Gulping loudly, Izuku robotically made his way up to the stage.

"No one told Midoriya-kun he had to do a speech today?" Milia asked.

"Apparently," Hyde nodded.

"Damnit, Aizawa," Ochako silently cursed, having figured out their homeroom teacher was at fault.

Izuku made it to the stage where Midnight was waiting for him. With every step closer to the stage and microphone Izuku tried to desperately come up with something to say.

_'Crapcrapcrapcrap! What do I do? Should I just say the school motto? Plus Ultra!… No, that won't work…'_

[Brat, calm down.] Ddraig said as Izuku reached the microphone. Once he did he stopped and held his breath. He hadn't been there for more than a second, but in his quickening mind, it was an eternity. [You're not calming down.]

_'__DDRAIG, WHAT DO I DO?!'_

[Calming down would be a good way to start!]

"You'll do great, Izu-kun!" Rias called out from her seat.

"You realize that he can't hear you, right?" Sona asked.

Closing his eyes, Izuku took a deep breath. If he stalled any longer, it was going to be obvious that something was up. He just had to speak from the heart, and hope he didn't stutter too much.

_'__Ddraig, any advice for the situation?'_ Izuku thought hopefully.

[Try not to make a fool of yourself… even though you likely will.]

_'__I sometimes can't tell if you're on my side or not.'_

So with another calming breath, Izuku approaches the microphone leaning in, he takes another deep breath before beginning.

"A-All men are not born equal," with that the whole stadium seemed to grow silent. "Some are born with everything. Wealth, power, prestige. Others aren't as lucky. They're the few who don't have any of that and are shunned because of it. I was one of them… I was told that I could never be a hero. But I've been given a chance and I've been working hard to not let this chance go to waste. And ever since, I've been through so much and so much has changed in my life, and every day I'm reminded of that." He had powers now, he has friends, people that willingly support him, and now his entire worldview has been expanded far more than he could have ever conceived on his own.

"And now here I am ready to take on the next big challenge in my life," Izuku gripped the microphone off its stand before turning away to face his fellow competitors. "I've been made aware that many of you today are seeking to carve out your destinies. You want to defeat me and my classmates. You want to become the very best there is," his eyes drifted towards Bakugo. "And you want to become heroes yourselves," he glanced over to the Gen Ed students. "Well, if you want any of your dreams to come true then you better be willing to work for it. To fight for it!"

He turned back to the audience. "No matter your background, abilities, or even where you may come from. Then you must fight tooth-and-nail for your dreams and uphold what you believe in!" Izuku raised his fist high into the air, "PLUS ULTRA!"

Many of the students follow suit, "PLUS ULTRA!" Soon the school cry of Plus Ultra was echoing throughout the stadium.

As the crowd cheered, Izuku bowed and quickly got off the stage and made his way back to his class. He got more than a few thumbs-ups and claps on the back from his classmates and a smiles from Ochako, Ibara, Momo, Itsuka, Milia, Tsubasa, Setsuna, Mina, and (maybe) Hagakure.

Iida claps Izuku on the back. "Well, done Midoriya-kun! That was a fine speech!"

Kirishima grins widely. "No kidding. Ah! I'm so pumped!"

"How long did it take you to come up with that little speech?"

Izuku blushed and rubbed the back of his head at Hyde's question, "Oh you know… it was mostly just stuff off the top of my head, hahaha."

With a crack of her whip, Midnight spoke over the students gathered. "Now, let's get started right away!" She yelled. "The first game is what you'd call a qualifier! Every year, many students drink their tears here!"

"That's a harsh way of putting it…" Izuku muttered.

"Now, here is the fateful first game!" Midnight yelled as a holographic screen appeared with a lottery spinner on it. "This year it's-" the movement on the spinner then stopped. "-this!"

**Obstacle Course Race**

"An obstacle course race…" Izuku said.

"Are you going to be okay, Celica-san?" Milia asked her friend. "If you want I can stay close so you won't-"

"I'll be fine, Milia," Celica reassured. "I'm not going to get lost."

"I… think you will…"

"All eleven classes will participate in this race! The course will be the outer circumference of this stadium, about four kilometers!" Midnight shouted as a map of the race emerged on the screen. "There is also a time limit of 30 minutes. Whoever makes it to the finish line before time runs out automatically moves on to the second event! As long as you don't leave the course, you're free to do whatever your heart desires!"

_["I'd like to add that you have to go around the 4 km course,"]_ piped in Aizawa, _["That means no going out and then back into the finish, even if they are at the same location. You must run the full course in order to win. We'll know if you step outside the course."]_

_["Ah, good catch!"]_ said Present Mic.

"Now then, everyone, take your place!" Grinning, Midnight pointed to the red tunnel exit.

Everyone moved to the starting gate that had three green lights lit up.

Unknown to everyone, someone was watching with great interest. Standing on the stadium's roof, a figure stood. Using the long-range scanners of his helmet, he paid close attention to all of the students, especially Izuku. "Record all events today. Do not miss a single moment," he instructed a drone next to him.

"Yes, master," the droid replied.

Black Knight turned his attention back to the field. "Now, let us see if he can be of use."

"Now then, take your places, contestants!"

The students immediately turn and gather around a large red archway that leads into a narrow passage leading to the outside of the stadium. Atop the archway, there are three glowing lights that will be used to signal the starting countdown.

As Izuku got ready, the words of All Might reverberated in his mind.

_"__I want you to stand up in front of the world and tell them 'I am here.'"_

And, as he looked into the eyes of the other students, he could see nothing but the unbreakable will and determination to do their best and excel. He now realized the effect his words had had on his peers: he had lit a fire in their hearts, urging them to go beyond what they would have had if it were not for his pledge. Seeing this brought a smile to his face, as his words had had the effect he had wanted them to have.

The countdown started as the first of three green lights went out.

_'__Mom, Rias, Yuuto, Koneko, Ravel, and All Might have put all their faith in me. I can't let them down. I have to win. I have to go even further!' _Izuku thought.

The second light went out.

Up in the stands, All Might folded his hands, anxiously waiting for the race to begin.

Green and red scales pears on Izuku's body as he spread his wings, ready to win.

The final light went out.

"Start!" Midnight finished.

Most of the students surged forward as soon as they heard the starting signal. A few, though, more from the Business Course classes, chose to step the side, not even bothering to participate in the race.

_["Okay, let's get started on the play-by-play! What should we pay attention to in the early stages, Eraserhead?"]_ Present Mic asked.

_["The doorway."]_

"Hey, hey!"

"This is too narrow!"

"KYAH! Someone grabbed my butt!"

"Mineta-kun, do not take advantage of the situation!"

Inside the tunnel, complaints aroused as the participants were smashed up together, all trying to run through the tunnel at the same time. It was too narrow and small for all of them to fit, and many thought it had been built precisely to test how they would go through it.

Suddenly, the temperature dropped, and many students felt their feet and legs getting frozen up, just as a bi-colored teen easily ran past them.

"Apologies, but I have to win," Todoroki said, leaving a trail of ice right behind him, while those afflicted were left trying to hack the ice apart. Many of them yelled in agony as they couldn't move forward, due to the ice that trapped them. Izuku was one of the few who wasn't affected, having formed his wings and shot over the rest of the students.

_["And right off the bat, Todoroki has already frozen the competition, but a few managed to avoid such an icy fate!"]_ Present Mic shouted. Sure enough, most of the students failed to keep their footing on the sheet of ice and fell over, but some like Izuku had no such issues.

"DEKU! DON'T YOU DARE GET AHEAD OF ME! YOU AND HALF-N-HALF ARE DEAD!" Bakugo yelled, using his explosions to jump above the other students and past Todoroki's ice trail.

"Nice try, Todoroki!" Momo huffed, using a long staff to jump over the ice.

"Naïve, Todoroki," Liana said as pole-vaulted over the ice with a long bone staff.

"Like this is gonna keep me down!" Tetsutetsu said as he smashed the ice with his steel arms while Itsuka blocked the ice with her enlarged fists.

"Whew, that was close!" Mina shouted, using her acid to melt the ice and skate across towards the exit.

"I can't even use my Quirk yet…" Ochako lamented, walking across the ice trail with difficulty.

Meanwhile, Shinso, a general studies student who had scoped out 1-A a while ago, had four students carry him across the ice. "Looks like they're pretty good with their Quirks," he commented.

Todoroki looked back and saw that his trap had not been as successful as he had hoped. "Looks like more people outside of 1-A and 1-B dodged than I had expected…" He muttered before he looked in front of him and struggled not to let his jaw drop in shock.

Izuku had already passed him and flew above the track. He glanced back toward Todoroki, a confident smile on her face before he sped up. _'I didn't even see him catch up! I won't let this win that easily!'_ Todoroki began to propel himself with ice, speeding up to catch up with Izuku.

_["WHOA! It seems like Midoriya is already in the lead! I didn't even notice until now!"] _Present Mic shouted, surprised as were most of the spectators at how the green-haired devil had, somehow, taken the lead without being seen moving. _["But he better be careful, cuz Todoroki is hot on his tail! Or should I say… _Ice_ on his tail!"]_

_["…Really?"]_

_["Yea… not my best one, I admit. Anyway, it looks like our leaders have reached the first obstacle!"]_

Izuku stopped himself in midair to avoid hitting a large metal object. "You've gotta be kidding me…" He groaned as Todoroki stopped underneath him.

"Targets acquired… Terminate!"

Izuku looked up to see the One, Two, and Three pointer robots, and even some Zero pointers, from the Entrance Exam, their red eyes gleaming down on him.

"What are these things?" Todoroki asked, having not expected to see robots appear in the Sports Festival.

"They're the faux Villains from the Entrance Exam!" Izuku answered.

_["Obstacles have shown up suddenly! Starting with… the first barrier! Robo-Inferno!"]_ Present Mic announced as multiple Zero Pointers began emerging and setting their sights on the participants.

"Aren't those the Zero-Point Villains from the Entrance Exam?" Kaminari said in horror as there was a horde of the robots in front of the students.

"Not those things again!" Hyde groaned.

"The Hero Course had to fight _those_?"

"This is what they meant by obstacles?"

"There are too many! I can't get through!"

"So, this is what the rest of my peers had to fight in the Entrance Exams," Todoroki said as he was looking at the Zero Pointers for the first time.

"Where does the school even get the money for these things?" Momo said as the robots seemed very expensive to manufacture.

A Zero pointer charge towards the students, Izuku specifically. With grace, Izuku voided the Zero-Pointer's attack and flew over the massive robot.

_["And just like that, Midoriya of Class 1-A zooms pass the Zero Pointers like they were nothing! What a display of skill and speed as he continues forward and is in the lead!"]_ Present Mic exclaimed

"Tch, I can't let him outperform me!" Todoroki growled as ice began forming on the ground and on his right arm. "The school obviously went through a lot of trouble. But I wish they would prepare something a little more difficult," Todoroki said, placing the iced hand on the ground, creating a shockwave of icicles around him. He looked up to see the Zero Pointers getting closer to attacking him. "Especially since my dear old _father_ is watching."

Todoroki swiped his right arm up to launch another icy blast, freezing several of the other zero pointers also. After doing so, he ran forward to chase after Izuku.

"He stopped the robots!"

"Between their legs! We can get through!"

Many of the participants began to go through the opening that Todoroki made.

"I wouldn't if I were you." Todoroki began as he started trekking ahead. "They'll fall over since I froze them while they were off-balance… On purpose!" As the Zero Pointer collapsed on a good amount of students, effectively immobilizing them.

* * *

"What incredible power," Xenovia muttered, she and the other devils watching in awe as the race continued.

_["Todoroki from Class 1-A attacks and defeats multiple Zero Pointers in one hit, only to use that to trap his fellow competitors under the ice! He is now on Midoriya's trail, catching up to him from second place! You know, don't you think this is a tad unfair?"]_ Present Mic stated, with the audience clearly agreeing at how overpowered Todoroki's Quirk was.

_["His actions are rational and strategic,"]_ Aizawa said, observing how his aloof pupil advanced towards Izuku.

_["As expected of someone who got in through recommendations! He had never fought them before, but even Robo-Inferno could not survive his elite moves!"]_

"I always know that the hero course students had incredible powers, but Todoroki's on a whole other level," Rias observed.

"Imagine if he was reincarnated into a devil. He could easily become a high-class devil in no time," Sona added, silently wondering if she could get Todoroki for her peerage.

* * *

"Like hell, I'm letting Half-n-half and Deku surpass me!" Bakugo yelled, throwing his Quirk into overdrive to blast himself up towards the head of one of the Zero Pointers.

_["And Bakugo, also from Class 1-A, clearly does not intend to throw the towel! Since the bottom's blocked, he goes overhead! Clever!"]_ Present Mic announced as Bakugo landed and, with a grin, fired a focused blast right into it.

As he expected, the robot was weak enough to not survive the blast, losing its head while he flew away. "Now, nobody can accuse me of not taking out one of these!" Bakugo smirked as he propelled forward behind Izuku, Todoroki, and… "Bone Girl!?" He gasped, seeing Liana had already ran passed the robots without anyone seeing and was trailing close behind Todoroki.

_["Whoa! Liana Kozuki of 1-A has cleared Robo-Inferno without anyone seeing! How'd she do that?"]_

_["She likely used the falling zero pointers Todoroki froze as a distraction,"]_ Aizawa noted.

Bakugo ground his teeth in anger as he blasted himself forward.

It wasn't just those four from 1-A that made it through easily, though: it was only a matter of seconds before the other students from the Hero Course blazed through the obstacle as if it wasn't there.

* * *

"As expected, 1-A and 1-B are the fastest to make it through the obstacle," Snipe, one of the teachers of U.A., noted.

"The other students aren't bad either, especially those that want to get into the hero course," commented Thirteen, "But…"

"Classes 1-A and 1-B have learned not to hesitate," said Aizawa from his booth. "Both classes have experienced firsthand the world that awaits them during USJ. They've come in contact with true fear, dealt with it, and pulled through. They're using their new experience to drown out their hesitation."

The audience gazed at the screens that were being streamed by various robots with cameras, showcasing the students breezing through the obstacles.

* * *

Iida ran across the dirt and, using his Quirk, leaped forward to deliver a kick on a One-Pointer's neck. Another One-Pointer tries to sneak attack him, but Jurota, activating his Beast Quirk, jumped on the robot and ripped it apart like a wild animal before roaring in victory.

Tsubasa skid along the ground, avoiding the hit of a One-Pointer, her right hand touching the body of the robot, allowing her to absorb the metal. Grabbing hold of the robot, Tsubasa swung it toward another One-Pointer, the two robots shattering upon impact. A Two-Pointer tried to jump her from behind, but Milia's claws impaled it before she sliced it to ribbons.

Hyde, without missing a beat, drew the Insulator and cut down two One-Pointers with ease. A Three-Pointer tried to jump him, but the ground beneath it softened, causing the robot to sink. Hyde glanced at Honenuki, who gave him a thumbs up.

Kyoka ran between two One-Pointers, jamming her Earphone Jacks into both, the vibrations causing the robots to short-circuit before collapsing. Before she could move on, though, a Two-Pointer got in her way. Kyoka was about to attack it with her Quirk like with the One-Pointers, but the robot was suddenly lifted into the air by itself. Looking around, she saw Reiko using her Poltergeist Quirk to throw the robot aside.

"Release," Ochako said as several One-Pointers fell from the air behind her.

A multitude of explosions were heard as several Zero Pointers collapsed as they were destroyed. "Hmph! Piece of cake!" Momo said as she stood by a smoking cannon. She had her PE shirt open due to her needing to reveal some skin to use her Quirk. She was able to create a cannon to effortlessly destroy the Zero Pointers as if they were playthings.

"She defeated those Zero-Point Villains so easily?!" Mineta asked, gobsmacked at the fact that Momo could just create a cannon out of nowhere and just shoot down the faux Villains. "No wonder she got in through recommendations…" Mineta then got an idea. If he could "hitch a ride" he can easily both finish the race and he gets to feel up Momo at the same time. _'It's perfect!'_

Drooling, lust clouding what little judgment he had, Mineta began throwing his sticky balls along the course, bouncing off them rather skillfully and dove for Momo, his intent clear. "Take this, Yaoyorozu! **Grape Ru-**" The back edge of a red blade suddenly hit the little perv, sending him back toward a pack of robots.

"Oops, sorry Mineta," Hyde faked apologized, wincing slightly with a smile as the robots ganged up on the pervert.

"Thank you, Kido-san," Momo nodded before the two ran forward. "I did not like the way he was staring and moving his fingers."

"No problem," Hyde nodded.

Further ahead, the flying Izuku slowed down a bit to take a peek back to see Todoroki, Liana, and Bakugo quickly pursuing him, followed by most of their classmates. Pushing that for later, he looked forward before blinking in surprise.

_["If you thought the first obstacle was too easy, then get a load of the second one!"]_ screamed Present Mic.

In front of them was what seemed to be a bottomless pit. There were tall platforms spaced out between each other but they were so far apart that it seemed like it was impossible to simply jump from one platform to the next. In between each platform were long and narrow trails of rope that honestly didn't seem like they were stable enough to hold the weight of a couple of students.

_["If you fall, you're out! If you do not want to fall, then you have to crawl! It is THE FALL! And the leader of the pack is already getting through first!"] _Present Mic announced as the Izuku flew over half of the obstacle. _["You know, Eraser, I think a student who can fly kinda defeats the point of all this."]_

"So, you think you can win that easily, Midoriya? Think again!" Todoroki yelled, creating an ice bridge connecting the platforms and sliding across.

"DAMN IT, DEKU! Don't think you are going to keep that lead for any longer!" Bakugo yelled, irate at the fact that Izuku did not seem to be even tired. Several explosions lifted him and even more boosted him across, ignoring the pit and the platforms as he made it over the obstacle.

Liana didn't say anything as she created two long pillars of bone to propeller herself cross the gap with ease.

"Midori being able to fly is so not fair," Mina complained as she, Ochako, Tsuyu, Setsuna, Milia, Tsubasa, and Yui ran up to the edge of the obstacle.

"That's a long way down," Tsubasa noted.

"Do we really have to travel across those wires?" Milia nervously asked.

"How did the school even build something like this?" Ochako questioned.

"Damn, look at Midoriya go!" Setsuna grinned.

"He's fast," Yui said.

Tsuyu steps past the size-manipulator and squats down.

"What are you doing?" Milia asked, she and the other girls noticing.

"Kero!" Tsuyu jumps out and lands onto a tightrope with no issues. "Kero," she starts moving forward one hand and foot moving at a time. "This is my moment. Easy peasy," Tsuyu then looked head to where Izuku currently was at. _'Midoriya-chan's so cool. I still need to thank him for saving me back at the USJ. Maybe after the sports festival?'_

"Well, that's one way to cross," Setsuna said as she and the other girls awed at Tsuyu's progress.

"Mwehehe…" Suddenly, the girls heard another girl laughing. They turn around to see a student who was likely from the support course based on all the gear she was wearing. This girl had pink hair and a rather crazed look on her. "Yes, this is my chance to show off what I can do. My support items will steal the spotlight from the heroes. Everyone! Observed at what my brilliant gadgets can do! Wire Arrows and Hover Soles."

"You're from the Support Department," Milia said.

"Hey! How come you get to bring all that stuff?" Mina asked.

"Students from the Hero Course get all that combat training by using their Quirks. In order to keep things fair and give us a fighting chance, students in the Support Course can bring whatever gadgets and costumes we want into the game as long as we develop them ourselves. So, sit back and enjoy the show!" She said, launching one of her Wire Arrows, connecting them to one of the rocks. She then activates her Hover Soles, going straight off the cliff, thinking she's going to fall. She then activates the lines, sending her upwards to the sky thinking she was flying with a big smile on her face, making it to the other side with ease.

"I won't lose," Ochako said with a determined look as she used her Quirk to float over the obstacle.

"Aww, this is so unfair," Mina said as she followed suit by using her Quirk by sliding on the ropes.

"I'll show that girl that I can do better," Setsuna said as she uses her Quirk by using her body parts to get through the obstacle while the other students followed.

Further ahead, Liana looked behind to find Bakugo gaining up on her and Todoroki.

"He's started to get fired up. Must be a slow starter," she said as she kept running forward.

"Damn it!" Bakugo growled, noticing that Todoroki and Liana were picking up speed even more than before, so he gave more of a boost to his explosions, increasing his speed as well.

Iida was standing at the beginning of The Fall, catching his breath as he saw everyone jumping and crawling on tight ropes to get to the next large stone pillar.

"My older brother is probably also watching, I can't let him see me act so uncool!" Iida said, before doing a T-pose, he jumped on the rope and used his Engine Quirk to slide across.

* * *

_["That's so uncool!"] _Mic said as he and the crowd watched Iida did the opposite of what he said. Then the screen switched to Todoroki and Liana.

"The two students behind Midoriya are way ahead of the rest of the pack!" A member of the audience commented, he and many others were impressed at the strength that Todoroki and the ingenuity that Liana showcased.

"Yeah. Todoroki's Quirk is really strong, but his natural athletic ability and judgment are also a cut above everyone else's. Kozuki, while her Quirk isn't as flashy or strong, is just as athletic as Todoroki, maybe even more, and her creativity with it is helping her keep pace."

"It's not that surprising. Todoroki's father is the number two hero, the Flame Hero Endeavor. And Kozuki's parents are the number four and five heroes, Zero and Guren."

"Wait, for real?!"

"No freaking way!"

"Everyone will be fighting over who gets them as sidekicks!"

* * *

_["The leaders of the pack, Midoriya, Todoroki, Kozuki, and Bakugo, are a step ahead, but below them, everyone's clumped together!"]_ Present Mic exclaimed as when the students heard that, they hastily continued through the obstacle course, not wanting to be left behind.

Izuku nonchalantly flew over the course before he abruptly stopped at the last obstacle ahead of him. There were signs that read, "Danger Mines!"

_["And now, we have quickly arrived at the final barrier! The reality here is… that it is a minefield! It is set up so that you can tell where the mines are if you look carefully! So you have to exploit your eyes and legs! By the way, these landmines are for games, so they are not that powerful, but they are loud and flashy enough to make you wet your pants!"]_ Present Mic announced as he revealed the third and last obstacle.

_["That depends on the person…"]_ Aizawa commented as he didn't think those mines would make everybody pee themselves.

_'__I get it. Anyone in the lead will be at a disadvantage here, and it'll give anyone lagging behind the chance to catch up and possibly take the lead themselves. Guess it's also entertaining for the audience. So glad I can fly,' _Izuku thought. But before he could move on…

_*BOOM!*_

"YOU GET BACK HERE, DEKU!"

The startled leader turned to look behind him and saw Bakugo, who was still launching himself with his Quirk, quickly approaching him.

"This shit doesn't affect me!" Bakugo screamed, exploding his way above the minefield, passing Todoroki and Liana and immediately gunning for Izuku. "Don't you fucking dare get ahead of me, Deku!"

Bakugo threw an explosion at Izuku, who immediately dodged the attack and retaliated by firing a Dragon Shot. Instinctively, Bakugo managed to dodge the shot and began to pepper the ground with explosions, trying to knock Izuku out, but the latter was more than capable at the art of avoiding being struck.

_["OH, MY! We now have a new competitor taking second place and gunning for first! Rejoice, mass media, it's the kind of development you guys love!"]_ Present Mic yelled through the speakers as the crowd cheered loudly, finally getting to see two students duking it out for a place, head to head.

With Izuku and Bakugo busy fighting each other, Todoroki created a path of ice to run across the minefield, taking advantage of their distraction. _'This ice path will help others, but I can't worry about them now.' _When Izuku blocked a blast from Bakugo, Todoroki struck. A giant glacier suddenly appeared, encasing the two of them.

"Apologies, but I need to prove a point," Todoroki stated as he passed by the two frozen bodies, "I'll unfreeze you after this race is done."

* * *

"IZUKU!" Rias cried out.

"Is he okay?!" Ravel desperately asked while Koneko could only watch in shock.

"Is that even allowed?" Xenovia asked.

_["Ooh, and Todoroki freezes his fellow contestants! Let's hope they'll chill out later!"]_ Present Mic shouted.

_["Smart tactic,"]_ Aizawa nodded, _["Striking while they're distracted with each other. The two leaders may have just lost their chance of going to the next round if they don't escape out of the ice block."]_

* * *

Todoroki suddenly felt something hit his left side, knocking him down, his ice the only thing preventing the mines from going off. Liana, a giant clawed gauntlet made of bone covering her right arm. "Thanks, Todoroki, for giving me the lead!" She smirked as she ran ahead.

_["What a plot twist! Just like that Kozuki has taken the lead! And with a terrifyingly cool Demonic Bone arm too!"]_

Todoroki cursed himself for forgetting about her as he ran after her, failing to notice the glacier start to crumble. _'She's faster than before,'_ he noticed. _'She must have been conserving her energy until now.'_

The stadium was now in sight. Todoroki needed to overtake Liana soon. Suddenly, he heard a loud explosion emanating from behind him. Unable to resist the temptation, Todoroki and Liana turned their head back just in time to see the glacier he created to trap Izuku and Bakugo crumble into pieces. Suddenly, Bakugo bursted out of the glacier in a large explosion rocketing in the. "NICE TRY, HALF-N-HALF!"

"C-C-Cold!" Izuku shivered as he stepped out of the hole Bakugo had made.

[Get a move on brat, you're falling behind!]

Seeing the Ddraig was right, Izuku took a deep breath and concentrated. His entire body lights up in a dazzling green aura as One for All courses through him, keeping the power only at 6%. Focusing even more, the light flowed to his wings. Feeling One for All gathering in his wings, Izuku spread them before taking off like a rocket, early closing the distance. He easily passed Bakugo, who let out a stream of curses and caught up to Todoroki and Liana.

_["Wha!? It's now a four-way brawl for first place! Eraserhead, your class is amazing!"] _Present Mic shouted into the microphone, right next to Aizawa's ear.

"Hey, I heard that, Yamada!" Vlad shouted from the teacher's seats. "Don't discount my class!"

Present Mic ignored him as he continued, _["Just what are you teaching them!?"]_

_["This has nothing to do with me. Each of them is powered by their own drive to succeed."]_ Aizawa answered.

Present Mic laughed. _["There you have it, Eraserhead is a terrible teacher!"]_

_["I'm what!?"]_

_["It's gonna be a close one, listeners! Which one of these four outstanding students is going to take the gold in the first round?!"]_

Everyone in the stadium was on the edge of their seats. Who was gonna win? There were four students that looked like they could take it. It was nearly impossible to predict.

But then it happened.

After what felt like forever of waiting…the first student crossed the finish line and reentered the stadium…

_["AND THE WINNER IS MIDORIYA IZUKU!"]_

Rainbow-colored confetti dropped as the crowd cheered furiously, as Izuku crossed the finish line and stopped running, turning his movement down to a fast walk. He was slightly burned out, but still standing and grinning, and as he took a moment to look around and observe everyone that was cheering and applauding for him, he stuck a fist into the air in victory.

* * *

Inko was moved to tears after seeing her son take the win. So much so that she slipped right off the couch as tears started to geyser out of her eyes comically. "Oh, my baby Izuku!"

* * *

In a dark room, a certain young man who happened to be the leader of the League of Villains was watching the Sports Festival from a computer.

"That damned brat…" He growled as he began to viciously scratch his neck.

* * *

On the stadium's roof, Black Knight clapped at Izuku's success. "Most impressive, Red Dragon Emperor. You've exceeded my expectations, but can you keep it up."

* * *

Rias, Ravel, and Koneko released a sigh of relief. "That was close," Ravel muttered.

"Looks like your dork is moving on," Kudelia smiled.

"Emphasis on dork," Rias agreed, earning a laugh from the group.

"But what was that glow?" Yuuto asked. "That wasn't the Boosted Gear, was it?"

"No, it wasn't," Sona nodded. "Do you have any idea, Rias?"

"No, I don't," Rias lied. She had a good idea what it was, knew this wasn't the best place or time to talk about it.

Meanwhile, Liana and Todoroki, who had arrived second and third a few seconds after Izuku crossed the finish line, were panting, trying to regain their breath from the enormous effort they had made in running the entire obstacle race. Todoroki was fairly calmed down, staring at Izuku.

Liana, meanwhile, smiled and walked up to Izuku. "I guess congratulations are in order, Midoriya, for finishing the first event in first place."

"Uh, thank you, Kozuki-san," Izuku replied. He then noticed her Liana's arm seemed stiff. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just pulled something is all," she replied.

Bakugo, who had come in fourth, clutched his arms, trying to stop them from shaking after so many explosions in such a short time. "Damnit… not again! Damn you, Deku!" Bakugo cursed, gritting his teeth. Well, at least this couldn't get any worse.

_["And now, they are finishing one after another! We'll show the list of the results later, but for now, good work, and congratulations to all of you!"]_ Present Mic announced as the pack started to filter into the arena.

Slowly but surely, the rest of the students started trickling in. Among them were Ibara, followed by Momo, then Iida, Ochako, Tsubasa, Milia, and finally Kyoka. Each one had taken Todoroki's ice path that he had conveniently left while chasing after Izuku and Katsuki.

However, when the main group of students arrived at the minefield, it became a battle to see who would take the ice path. Quite a few opted to make their own paths instead of fighting over the ice path.

"Izu-kun! You were amazing!" Ochako cheered joyfully as she hopped over with Tsubasa, though there were slight bags under her eyes, showing she had slightly overworked her Quirk. "Congrats on first place!"

"Indeed, congratulations are in order," Momo nodded.

"I knew you could do it, Izuku-san!" Ibara smiled.

"You did amazing, Green," Tsubasa complimented.

"Ahh to think I'd place so low with a Quirk like mine," Iida mumbled in depression.

"You still did better than me," Milia said.

"Yeah…" Kyoka panted.

"This should have been my area of specialty with my Quirk," Iida sighed before looking up. "I'll just have to try harder next round!"

_*REEEEEE!*_

"The 30-minute time limit has finished! With that, the first game of the First-Year stage is over!" Midnight announced as the last of the students trickled in. "Students who managed to cross the finish line before time ran out will move on. Let's take a look at the results!"

**1****st: Class A, Midoriya Izuku**

**2nd: Class B, Celica A. Mercury**

**3rd: Class A, Liana Kozuki**

**4th: Class A, Todoroki Shoto**

**5th: Class A, Bakugo Katsuki**

**6th: Class B, Shiozaki Ibara**

**7th: Class A, Yaoyorozu Momo**

**8th: Class B, Honenuki Juzo**

**9th: Class A, Iida Tenya**

**10th: Class B, Tokage Setsuna**

**11th: Class A, Asui Tsuyu**

**12th: Class A, Uraraka Ochako**

**13th: Class A, Yura Tsubasa**

**14th: Class B, Kendo Itsuka**

**15th: Class B, Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu / Class A, Kirishima Eijiro**

**16th: Class B, Monoma Neito**

**17th: Class A, Ashido Mina**

**18th: Class A, Tokoyami Fumikage**

**19th: Class B, Jurota Shishida**

**20th: Class B, Togaru Kamakiri**

**21st: Class B, Yanagi Reiko**

**22nd: Class B, Pony Tsunotori**

**23rd: Class B, Milia Takamaki**

**24th: Class A, Shoji Mezo**

**25th: Class B, Rin Hiryu**

**26th: Class C, Shinso Hitoshi**

**27th: Class B, Kodai Yui**

**28th: Class A, Jiro Kyoka**

**29th: Class B, Kaibara Sen**

**30th: Class B, Kaminari Denki**

**31st: Class H, Hatsume Mei**

_["Wait, huh?! Celica A. Mercury is in second place?! When did that happen?!"]_

All of the students in the stadium looked up in surprise, seeing that Celica from 1-B really _had_ reached second place, somehow. "Huh, I got second? That's not too bad, even though I don't know how I got here," she smiled.

**"****HUH?!"** Practically everyone in the stadium exclaimed. Well, everyone except for the Newspaper Club members, Class 1-B and Vlad King.

Kyoka stared at Celica in disbelief. "…she's joking, right?"

Itsuka just sighed, rubbing her hand down her face. "I really wish she was…"

"I somehow knew that would happen," Vlad grumbled.

_["Uh, did she stay on the course?"]_ Present Mic asked.

_["According to the transponder Vlad King had her wear, yes. She did…"]_ Aizawa's tone indicated that he was close to having a mental meltdown.

_["You mean to say that she got so lost she won second place without anyone realizing it?! HOW THE HELL DOES THAT MAKE SENSE!?"]_ Present Mic yelled as the last students arrived.

Sona and Rias both looked to Kudelia, who simply nodded. "Yes, she's _that_ hopeless with directions," Kudelia groaned, her Queen currently having a twitchy eye.

Once the shock of Celica coming in second wore off, everyone let the results of the race sink in. The students who failed to finish in time all had varying reactions.

Aoyama was holding his stomach in pain, trying desperately not to poop his pants.

Hyde let out a sound that was a mix between a sigh and a groan.

Mineta wailed as he slammed his fists into the ground, crying tears of blood. "I could've made it and grabbed some boobs if Kido didn't stop me!"

"Dude, you need to get a life," Sero reprimanded.

Hagakure had collapsed due to exhaustion.

Komori was close to tears, though Kuroiro did his best to comfort her.

Awase and Tsuburaba groaned in disappointment, while Fukidashi didn't say anything, for his speech bubble head already did. "Shit…"

"Moving on," Midnight continued with her announcement. "The top 32 will proceed on to the next round!" She announced, ignoring the complaints of mostly the General Ed. Students who hadn't made the cut. "It is unfortunate if you didn't make the cut, but don't worry! There will be a special event later on where anybody can showcase their skills to the audience that'll take place after the main event!"

While she finished that statement, she licked her lips in excitement, causing a shiver of excitement in those watching her. "But now, the real show will begin! The press will be all over this event, so for those participating in it, look sharp! This is your next big chance to shine!"

Almost all the 32 students looked up eagerly at another chance to shine, especially those near the bottom. Midnight swiped her whip back to the projection with the slot speeding through once more.

"Now then, onto the next heart-pounding event! I already know what it is, but the suspense is so exciting! Now, what could it be? What should it be? Here it is…"

**Calvary Battle**

"A cavalry battle? Man, I'm bad at those," Kaminari mumbled, clearly not excited for the next event.

"Since it's not an individual event, how will it work?" Tsuyu asked, confused, much like everyone else, about what they were going to do this time.

"Allow me to explain! The participants may form teams of two to four people, as they wish! It is basically the same as a regular cavalry battle," Midnight explained, as a screen showed an image of Thirteen holding up All Might as the horse rider with Snipe and Present Mic supporting him from behind. "The main difference is that… based on the results of the first game, each person will be assigned a point value!"

"I see. It's like the Entrance Exam then," Liana nodded. "That seems simple enough."

"So each team each team is worth a different amount of points depending on who's on the team!" Said Ochako.

"Ah, I see!" Mina exclaimed as she caught on.

Midnight violently swiped her wipes towards the ones talking, "Don't say what I was planning to say before I say it! Let me speak, or it's detention! Though I don't mind if the boys want to come."

Before Mineta could get himself detention, Kyoka jammed her earphone jacks into his ears to shut him up.

"Anyways, before you all get carried away, the points are assigned based on your placement in the obstacle course, in increments of 5. So 32nd place will be 5 points, 31st 10 points, and so on. But there is one key exception," Midnight licked her lips sadistically. "The point value assigned to first place is… TEN MILLION!"

Izuku suddenly turned ghost white, feeling glares from all around aimed at him. "Ten… million…?"

* * *

**AN:**

**Again, sorry this took so long. Aside from what I said up top, I think the hardest part of the chapter was Izuku's speech. Good thing he didn't die on the podium huh?**

**And Bakugo's in 5th pace again? He can't just catch a break, though he kinda deserves it for being such a prick.**

**Up next is the Calvary Battle. Until then stay safe and stay healthy. Go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!**


End file.
